Digital Genesis
by Blonde-Eko
Summary: The original five digidestined face the genesis of evil in the digital world in a saga which will set the foundations for Digimon Adventure and Digimon Adventure 02. R&E read and ENJOY xXx
1. Chapter 1

This is my second OC fic for Digimon.  
My first one didn't go so well and so I thought I'd try again.  
I was recently inspired by a story I read (NoRatCat's Digimon Beginnings) to do my own version of the prequel to season 1 and 2, with those five children you see who were the 'original digidestined'.  
So, that's what this is.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own digimon.  
I do not own any of the digimon portrayed in this fic.  
I do not own the idea of the five original digidestined  
I do not own Gennai

BUT: I do own all of my own characters - the ones which you have never heard of before.  
I also own the random crests which were not from the original series... well not particularly as you can't own virtues, but still.  
-My crests of Yin and Yang, Mine!-  
No, no I don't really. But still, on with the story...

* * *

_**Five to save us  
Five to care  
Five to fight what fight they dare.**_

_**Five to carry all the twelve  
The crests and virtues,  
Yin and yang.**_

_**Yet these five be not digimon  
But humans who are yet children.**_

_**And with their partners will stand strong  
Against the evils  
Of our world.**_

_**When their time comes  
Beware O dark  
Your best attempts these kids will mock.**_

_**Five to save us  
Five to care  
Five to fight what fight they dare.**_

_**

* * *

**_

Numemon were running, scattering in fear as they heard the familiar sound of The Laugh.

"H-He's coming," Mani Numemon warned them, his eyeballs shaking on their storks as he tried to round them all up, back into hiding.

"Oh Mani," lisped a small Numemon, Koko Numemon, "I'm scared."

Mani Numemon looked down at little Koko Numemon and smiled encouragingly, "It'll be okay Koko, don't you worry." he said soothingly, "Now everyone, quickly, you must get to the underground chamber." he shooed them along frantically, The Laugh was getting nearer, "Go, go, go!"

Koko Numemon and the rest were all safely in the passage that led to the underground chamber, when Mani Numemon heard The Laugh booming right down his ears. He felt the warmth of the breath on his back, and a chill crept up his spine.

He was here.

Mani Numemon knew there was nothing for it, he had to act fast. He shut the huge titanium door infront of him and sealed it as quickly as possible. Sealing the Numemon in the safety of the chamber, while sealing him self out. There was no other choice at this point.

"Mani Nume-" he heard the faint cry of a young Numemon, Koko Numemon no doubt, calling his name in fear as the gathered Numemon all saw the door closing, without him.

The door shut and the cries of his people were silenced, they were safe.

There was no way He could get them now.

Mani Numemon had made sure of that, and it was the last thing he would do.

He turned around slowly to face Him, and shook with fear. His whole jelly like body trembled. But at the same time he was not afraid, because he had saved his people from this evil creature, Him, and he would die with the knowledge that they would live on.

The race of Numemon would survive.

And perhaps one day one of them would digivolve to ultimate level and be able to protect the others from evil.

Maybe one day one of them would defeat Him, himself.

Mani Numemon smiled shakily to himself, facing Him directly in the face, looking into His great grey eyes. Maybe it would be little Koko Numemon, the bravest of the group. Yes, Koko Numemon would make a great leader some day, a great Ultimate digimon too. His own son and heir.

Mani Numemon would never live to see it, no, but he would die to ensure it.

He stopped trembling and a smooth smile crossed his features as he awaited his fate.

Mani Numemon closed his eyes as the blow came, He killed with swift fury, and Mani Numemon was no more.

...

Koko Numemon lay in Lily Numemon's lap in the underground chamber, small tears running down his cheeks as he realised Mani Numemon's fate.

He that was powerful would pay for that, Koko Numemon thought bitterly. One day, He would pay.

* * *

Yumi was an orphan. He parents she knew nothing about. What she did know was that she blamed them for everything, because everything was their fault for not being there when they should have been.

How she hated them, they meant nothing to her, she told herself sternly. And yet, they meant everything to her, her parents were her identity, they were her and she was them. But she didn't even know who they were, didn't know a thing about them. So she had no idea who she was.

They had stripped her of her identity when they abandoned her. She was an orphan and that was what defined her now.

She used to try to imagine who they were, to fill in the gaps in her life and give herself an identity.

She was a long lost princess; she was a victim of kidnapping from wealthy, loving parents; She had been switched at birth and her parents had found out and they were now desperately searching for her...

But even as a child none of these dreams had been satisfactory. Not to mention the fact that they were almost impossible anyway.

Now, as a teenager - Yumi had just turned fourteen - she had long ago given up all hopes and dreams. She was a victim of fate, same as the other countless orphans in Japan. Unwanted and unloved. Everyone had dreams of grandeure, hopes that their parents would come for them one day. But thats all they were, dreams, hopes, illusions.

Yumi knew that she had had a raw deal from life, but she was determined to succeed and make something out of herself despite that. She threw herself into her studies, as she saw that they would one day prove to be a route out of the orphanage, and ignored everything else for the time being.

She was a beautiful girl, with long wavy blonde hair, a slim girlish figure, big grey-green eyes and a perfect, fair complexion. She should have been popular and had fun in highschool, but she was an outsider. Her single track mind blocked out everything but the need to succeed in her studies, and this made her keep her distance from the other kids in her school. She was a loner with a bad attitude, who everyone avoided, and who avoided everyone.

The boys would look at her wistfully, but decide it was not worth the risk of getting hurt and rejected by her, so they, too, left her alone. There were plenty of other girls in the school, they decided, none quite as beautiful, but all of them much easier to get and to manage.

So Yumi was left alone, just the way she prefered it. Or at least the way she told herself that she prefered it.

* * *

Benjiro and Renjiro sat in their garden revising. They were about to sit their yearly exams before they broke up for summer and their parents cared a great deal about their education, the result being the two boys were spending a beautiful sunny day glancing over algebra and various theorems. When they could just be out enjoying themselves with the rest of their friends.

Renjiro sighed, "Benji, what happens when you have a number to the power of zero?" he asked frustrated, after having wrestled with goemetry for an hour he was in no mood for stupid 'x to the power ofs'.

His twin looked at the equation Renjiro was pointing at, "Anything to the power of zero is always one."

Renjiro nodded. Of course his twin would know, his twin Benjiro was brilliant at everything, he tried hard too which helped. Benjiro could be bothered, where as Renjiro didn't give a damn.

"Oh," he said, "yeah, cheers."

"No problem, Renji." Benjiro said, smiling cheerfully at his twin.

'How can he be cheerful when we're cooped up revising?' Renjiro thought bitterly, 'how can he always smile as if lifes just great?'

They sat in silence for a while, studying together.

Benjiro and Renjiro were twins, yet were complete opposites. At least they appeared to be.

Benjiro, or Benji as he prefered to be called, was tall and slim with platinum blonde hair, that always shone and looked quite neat, big blue eyes, full of mirth and warmth, a fair complexion and a constant smile on his face. He was very affectionate for a fourteen - nearly fifteen - year old lad, and was popular and outgoing. He played football, basketball and tennis for their school, and was always the centre of attention. Despite being extremely popular and sought after by the girls, he was unconcerned with his image and the status quo, he frequently chose to hang out with the down and outs of the school, as he thought they were more sincere and interesting anyway, and he was not in the least bit shallow. Benji was basically the perfect teenage lad.

Girls swooned over him, guys swarmed around him as his popularity was contageous, so was his luck with the girls. If you were seen to hang out with Benji Fujiwara then the girls would immediatley swamp you and you were instantly seen as 'cool'. Benji was a legend of the school, he had his own fan club and a tribute in the enterance hall as he had won the school a record amount of trohies with his winning goals in football, his skill in tennis and his basket record in basketball.

Renjiro, or Renji as he was known, was also tall and slim. However he had quite long, messed up, spikey black hair, black-grey eyes and a sullen face. He hardly ever smiled, he was quite pale and he had long, thick, smokey eyelashes which gave him a very pretty but sulky appearance. Both brothers had perfect features, and were beautiful, yet Benji wore his beauty with ease and showed off his inner beauty to the world as well, illuminating him. Whereas Renji hid away from people and avoided revealing himself to anyone when he didn't have to. Benji and Benji alone knew that he, too, actually held a wonderful soul, filled with care, love and compassion. But this soul was buryed underneath a sullen, moody exterior, locked away for fear of being hurt.

Because as far as Renji was concerned those who showed compassion were weak, and those who were weak were trampled on.

This fear bothered Renji greatly, but Benji brushed it a side.

They were really two sides of the same coin, yet as far as the world was concerned they were complete opposite poles. Benji and Renji, the twins, the brothers, the opposites. Benji, Mr popular; Renji, the lone wolf.

So while his brother was worshipped by all, Renji stood and watched from a far. He always kept his distance in public, partly because he didn't want to drag his brother down to his level of isolation and partly because he didn't want himself to be dragged up to his brother's level of popularity. So, no matter how Benji tried to hang out with his twin in school, he never got a chance because Renji just would walk away. This saddened Benji, but he got used to it.

"Aw, this sucks," Renji said eventually, slamming his book down on the patio table in frustration.

"Hey," Benji tried to comfort his brother, placing his hand on his brother's shoulder, "it isn't that bad..."

Renji scowled and looked away from his brother, 'easy for him to say, he actaully understands this bull.'

"Look," Benji cupped his twin's chin in his palm and turned him to face him, "how about if I explain it to you, I'll get mum and dad to order a pizza and once we've done, say," he paused thoguhtfully, "two hours worth we'll watch a movie or something. Eh?"

'A movie?' Renji felt himself nod faintly, 'a movie sounds okay.'

Benji grinned broadly at his brother's nod, "how about that new movie Prom Night?" his eyes twinkled mischievously, it was the leavers prom for the year elevens this summer, and so it had been discussed alot at school. Very topical.

But Renji shook his head, as much as he wanted to watch some funny movie about a Prom gone wrong, he wasn't really in the psychopathic-killer-stalker movie mood. He fancied something abit simpler, "How about Troy?" he asked, Troy was an old favorite of theirs, which was traditionally paired with pizza.

Benji nodded, "Perfect," he said.

So Renji picked up his book again and opened it to the right page, while Benji went to sweet talk their mum and dad into agreeing with his plan.

'That's another thing,' he thought sighing, 'Benji even gets on with mum and dad, and they would do anything for him.'

Sometimes Renji longed to be Benji, the favorite twin, just for once. To see how it felt.

* * *

Jeri smiled at his reflection in the mirror. The out of control brown hair, the chocolate brown eyes, the strong jaw bone and the determined expression always shown on his face, unconciously. He was tall and slim, athletically built, a runner. His face was tanned from his time spent outside, and his nose was littered with faint freckles which he thought looked quite good. If he did say so himself.

He was dressed up slightly, his target look today was smart casual as he was attending an awards ceremony for his performance in the cross country and the sprinting races for the county.

He was wearing a light, white shirt and he purposely left the top button undone. Then he had some black skinny jeans, he wasn't really into the whole look that went with skinny jeans or anything, he was more of a jock, but he liked the way these jeans looked on him, and besides, they were smarter than his other trousers. Around his neck he wore a brown, beaded, tribal looking necklace which looked very good against his tanned skin.

Then he added the crowning glory to his image, his trademark item which he never went without. His goggles.

Once he had inspected his appearance in the mirror and was satisfied Jeri left the room and headed downstairs where his mum was waiting.

"Sweetheart," she gushed proudly when she saw him, "you look gorgeous!"

Jeri blushed and hugged her, he loved his mum to bits, but she could be embarrassing. Of course he looked gorgeous, but her saying it sounded wierd.

Then his dad came in, overhearing this. Jeri frowned. There was no love lost between father and son.

His dad grunted, "don't say things like that, Yaeko," he glared accusingly at her, "you'll just add to this pretty boy's already over inflated ego."

Yaeko visibly shrunk at his words, and bowed respectively. Jeri glared, hating his father bitterly.

"Well," he said staring at them, "what are you waiting for woman? Take the boy to his little ceremony now, or he'll be late."

Yaeko nodded ferverently and rushed Jeri outside to their LandRover. As soon as they were gone out of the door, Maniko, Jeri's father, had slammed the door on them. He was just glad to get rid of them.

Jeri scowled, he hated the way his father treated him, so condescending as if he were inferior to him. Always cold and dismissive too. No matter what Jeri did his father would scoff at him. But even more so he hated the way Maniko treated his mum, as if she were nothing. He just spoke to her as though she were stupid, expected her to wait on him hand and foot, and complained about everything she did. He seemed to take pleasure watching her squirm uncomfortably as he made impossible demands and criticised her every move.

'Poor mum,' he thought glancing at her sad face, 'you deserve so much better.'

However, he soon forced himself to lighten up, he did after all have an awards ceremony to go to. This was a big day for him and he had been looking forward to it. There was no way he was going to let his father ruin it for him, or his proud mum. Because the world didn't revolve around his dad, no, in fact as far as Jeri was concerned right now his dad didn't matter one bit.

This was a day of celebration for him and his mum and his friends.

'To hell with Maniko.'

* * *

Roka shivered at the thought of going back there after today.

He pictured Nanii and Lorca in his minds eye, and their gang, as they jeered at him and shoved into him. They all hated him and laughed when he couldn't fight back. Roka was small for his age, a pretty boy in a rough neibourhood, he stuck out like a sore thumb.

The school he attended, The Willows, was an overcrowded comprehensive school, with boarded up windows and graffiti as the main form of decoration. The children in this school were a bunch of animals, even now at this age. He cringed to imagine what the high school would be like in this place.

He was nine years old and until last year his life had been completely different. He had lived in a lovely area with country land, of which he owned a good many acres, and had gone to a public school which he loved. The children there were all well brought up and kind, none of them would have ever dreamed of acting in the way the children at The Willows acted. It was just alien to him, or had been. But everything had changed the day that his dad was arrested and fined heavily for fraud, and taken away and arrested. Since then Roka's life had been very different, his mother had had to move from their seven bedroomed home in the country to this shabby city block apartment in the centre of Japan.

But Roka didn't mind that much, it was a new adventure to him. What he did mind was the school.

At first he had got on okay in there, although the state of it had appalled him he had just taken it in his stride as children do. He had been relatively left alone for the first past of the year, keeping his head down wisely. He had avoided any contact with the children, feeling intimidated by their behavior, and they had pretty much avoided him too.

But things had taken a turn for the worst when he had seen Lucia, a girl in his class, being beaten up by some boys in an older year - year six he thought - because of something to do with her brother. The year sixes wanted revenge on her brother and decided that the best way to go about it was to get his little sister.

Sick.

Roka had seen this and acted before he thought. Obviously protecting the poor girl was his first thought, and he thought nothing of the consequences or the risk to him, he just ploughed in there and stood up to the boys. Then they turned on him, and the girl, Lucia, fled gratefully. Once Roka saw she was safely away he ran too, and he was fast compared to the older, heavily built bullies, allowing him to make a clean escape with only a few minor injuries.

Unfortunatley he hadn't expected the backlash.

Roka had pretty much just stuck a bulls eye on his back, the fact that he had stood up to the biggest bullies around, the warlords who ruled the primary school and who also had older brothers who ruled the estate they lived in spelt trouble. Add to this his innocent good looks, his size and his posh accent and poor Roka was toast. A lamb among lions.

He had run home today, they just never gave in. He slammed the door quickly behind him as he reached the safety of his own house and settled down to nurse his injuries before his mum got home and worried over his scrapes.

He just couldn't face tomorow, or the day after. The constant comments, "goody two shoes," "pretty boy," "posh nob" were just injuries to his pride, and he eventually healed from the cuts and bruises, but it was the constant fear and humiliation which came with it which he couldn't stand. And the hate he felt from them, he had never felt so much hate before, his life was sheltered and he had hardly even known hate could exist in such extremes. But it did. He knew that he was dealing with people who had known nothing but hate their whole lives, and it was all they knew. The Willows exposed him to a whole new wolrd of hate and fear and he wanted out because he just couldn't face it any more.

'I wish I could just disappear,' he thought to himself wistfully, 'just vanish into thin air or something.'

But he knew that that was just not possible, miracles don't happen except in fairy tales.

So he shook his head and winced slightly as he rubbed at his knee with a cotton wool blob of antiseptic, cleaning the graze before slapping a plaster on it. He wanted to cry at the hopelessness of it, the harshness of it all, but he didn't. He was determined that he would grow to be a stronger person because of this nastiness, just like his dad was doing.

His dad was doing really well in jail, finally determined to do what it took to get out of there and back to his family as soon as possible. His dad was becoming an honest guy and sincerly trying to change, even though it was hard. Roka had asked him how he did it, how he managed to thrive even in such a horrid place as jail, and his dad had turned around to him and said, "Because I need this son."

"Why though dad?"

"Jail is a nasty place," he had replied quietly, "but it has done me good. I am going to come out of here a better person, you will see."

Roka had looked at his dad questioningly and his dad had then smiled sadly and said softly "What don't kill you can only make you stronger."

From then on Roka had taken this as his motivation, seeing the honesty and sincerity in his father's eyes, and the truth in the message. It was perhaps the only good think his dad had ever given him, that moral, the only thing of value he had ever really recieved from either of his fickle, money obsessed, shallow parents.

And he slowly repeated it to himself now, holding his chin up that bit higher and feeling the strength come back into his softly spoken voice.

"What don't kill me can only make me stronger."

He nodded his head and slapped on yet another plaster.


	2. Chapter 2

**First of all, my thanks:**

**I would like to thank NoRatCat for his review and also say that I really admire his work, his story Digimon Beginnings is amazing and was my inspiration for this fic. So thanks!**

**Secondly I would like to thank Ravn MTM for her reviews, they were lovely and long and very helpful in the case of the ying instead of yin mistake. Cringe.**

**So thankyou both and I hope you enjoy this chapter…**

**Unfortunately due to my incompetence with computers – damn technology – I have lost my original second chapter, so I now have to rewrite it, sorry about that, I will try and make it as close to the original as I can.**

* * *

Jijimon, an ancient, mega level digimon looked up into the night's sky as he watched the stars. Tomorrow was the day, he knew, the day which would bring hope back into the digital world, as it was the day he would summon the digidestined from their land in order to save this one.

He stood on top of the hill watching the sky as it changed from black to navy to blue again, he watched as the sun rose and threw its early pink rays over the digital world. The time had come, in three hours it would be the moment to summon them. Jijimon was joined by his old friend Centaurmon, who stood next to him watching the sunrise in awe. They did not need to speak, it was enough to know the other was there. After a while they made their way down the hill together and into the assembly room where they could make the first preparations for the day's ritual. The old, wise digimon began to smile, an outlet for their inner excitement. A rare occurrence, such a smile, but today was a rare occasion.

Shortly they were joined by the other wise and ancient digimon, they had all assembled here today in order to do what must be done to summon to digidestined.

Centaurmon looked around and was pleased with what he saw, it had been a long time since so many digimon had gathered together to achieve a common goal and the thought filled him with pride and optomism. He watched as lots of Biyomon, Tentomon and Armadillomon scuttled around busily readying the assembly hall for the up and coming ritual. Even the younglings had a part to play in this momentus occasion. It was truly heart warming.

Jijimon glanced at the sky, the moon of Seraph was in alignment with the moon of Delta and the planets of Linal, Rubida and Kinne. The alignment of five, the signal for the beginning of the end of all evil in the digital world.

"The time has come," Jijimon's powerful, perfectly pronounced voice rang out through the assembly hall as everyone stopped what they were doing to listen. "This is the hour of the reign of peace, for this is in this hour that we shall summon the digidestined to save us." He paused, eyes darting over every face in the assembly hall, taking in the shining eyes and hopeful expressions and the calm confident expression on his friend Centaurmon's face before continuing. "Peace will not be immediate, nor will it be easy, but it will be ours. The times ahead might be the worst we have ever faced in the history of our world, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel my friends, the digidestined will not fail. It is written that evil will perish before them, and they shall lead us into a golden age of harmony. So let them come."

There was applause and much nodding of head from the other digimon. That speech was a little too pep-talky for Jijimon's taste, but he felt that the gathered digimon needed a little encouragement, for they were all about to face the biggest battle this world had ever seen. The result was already predicted of course, but the casualties were not, and Jijimon was grateful. If he were to know what price this victory would demand then he might be tempted not to choose that route at all, he might simply refuse to summon the children.

Ignorance was bliss.

He looked around him and nodded briefly as he checked that everything was in place. The five chosen digimon were standing next to him, grinning broadly as they couldn't contain their excitement at the idea of meeting their partners, they had waited their whole lives for this moment. They were all in their in training stages which was unfortunate, but the digital world did not have the time to wait around for them to digivolve to rookie and so in training would have to do.

The first phase of the ritual was about to begin, the release of the spirits of the elements. Or the crests as they were called.

The digital world was made up of twelve elements, ten of which were virtues and two of which were states of being. The ten virtues were Courage, Loyalty, Kindness, Truth, Integrity, Reliability, Friendship, Wisdom, Love and Peace and the two states of being were Light and Darkness, Yin and Yang.

Since the beginning of time these twelve elements which made up the digital world had been locked away safely behind the wall of fire to ensure their safe keeping away from the forces of evil. For if evil came to possess any one of these twelve there would be chaos in the digi-world and it would give evil unimaginable power.

But now the time was here and the crests needed to be released as the digidestined needed to be able to harness their power in order to defeat the forces of evil and save the digital world. And Jijimon was the one whose job it was to release them.

He walked solemnly up to the wall of fire, a twelve foot flaming barrier standing between him and the ultimate powers of the digital world, and raised his staff. With a fearsome shout he used his staff to strike the wall and for a fraction of a second there was a tiny rift in it, allowing the crests to escape. His staff was shattered to pieces and the wall resealed itself once more as the crests flew free.

Love, Friendship, Kindness, Loyalty, Courage, Reliability, Truth, Wisdom, Integrity and Truth flew out into the assembly hall, followed closely by Yin and Yang.

As the crests escaped they each split into two equal pieces - I will call them sparks because that is how they appeared. One of these sparks flew immediately to one of the in training chosen digimon, being absorbed by them in a flash. The other spark flew out to its other destination – the children.

Each of the digimon absorbed two of the coloured crests sparks, the virtues, but two of the five digimon also absorbed another crest, the crest of either Yin or Yang. Jijimon was disappointed that no one saw which crests went where as it would have been interesting to know, but it had happened so quickly that not even the digimon themselves who had recieved the sparks had been able to tell which ones had gone where.

* * *

It was a school morning and Renji and Benji were still sleeping, their alarm had just gone off but Renji had groggily set it to 'snooze' to get another five minutes of sleep. Benji had just slept straight through it, he was a sound sleeper.

As Renji rolled over and pulled his covers further over his head to block out the sunlight there was a loud gust of wind and a bright glow outside. He groaned, jamming his eyes even tighter shut and trying to get back to sleep.

All he wanted was another five minutes in peace. Was that really too much to ask?

The alarm started to beep and whir again, Renji cursed and slammed his fist onto the big button on the top. Another five minutes.

As the boys lay there in their beds a number of sparks flew into their room through the window and headed straight for them. Half of the sparks flying to Renji and half to Benji.

They both stirred slightly as their bodies absorbed the crests, but felt nothing more.

* * *

Jeri slept soundly, snoring slightly with his mouth hanging open. He mumbled to himself incoherently and smiled, it seemed as though he was having a very pleasant dream indeed. His window was open as it had been a hot stuffy night, but he failed to notice the sudden strong gust of wind and the flash of light just outside, he too was a sound sleeper. The sparks flew in through his window and headed towards the sleeping boy, his body absorbing them as he rolled over onto his back. A small frown of concentration passed across his face briefly, but then it was gone again and he resumed his mumbling. His dream carried on, undisturbed.

* * *

Yumi cradled a small child in her arms, the child had been sick during the night and had come straight to Yumi, pale and shivering. Yumi had taken care of her and now she had fallen asleep in her arms. Yumi was fed up, it was the middle of the night and she was exhausted. She had had a very busy day and now here she was craddling some little child when all she wanted to do was go to sleep. Her eyes began to droop slowly as sleep tugged on her features. Her head bobbed and her eyes lost focus as she slumped back onto her pillow, the child still sound asleep in her arms. She was normally a very light sleeper, but her exhaustion caused her to fall asleep like a log and she didn't notice the flash and gust of wind. She didn't even stir when the crests were absorbed into her body.

* * *

Roka clung onto his patched up hamster cuddly toy and sighed, he had been unable to sleep again. He watched the night sky through his window and tried counting the stars to get him to fall asleep. It didn't work. His mind just continued whirred round and round, all he could think about was school and how much he was dreading it. Lorca had promised to get him tomorow, he promised that everyday but it sounded more sinister this time. He didn't even want to think about what the bully was planning, yet he couldn't help but let his imagination run away with him, on hot stuffy dark nights like this it was especially scary. He shivered and clung onto his hampster toy even harder.

He heard a gust of wind and saw a bright flash of multicoloured light outside his window, then he saw some sparks flying into his room through the window. He sat up drowsily and yawned, he must be dreaming. Odd, he didn't remember falling asleep already.

The sparks danced around in the air in front of him and he reached out to grab them, as soon as he touched them they were absorbed into his body and he gasped as he saw the veins in his arm pulsate with the light from them. They travelled up his body and into his chest, to his heart. Then once they reached there he suddenly felt calm and peaceful and all of his worries were forgotten.

He slipped into a deep and restful sleep.

* * *

Jijimon called Koromon, a young and excited digimon, to bring him the digivices, it was time for phase two.

Koromon bounded forward, his grin reaching both of his ears as he blushed in pride at the significance of his job. His pink face radiated happiness as he handed the five sacred devices over to his master and wise sensei, Jijimon-sama.

Jijimon nodded kindly to his young and eager student and Koromon bounded happily away.

There were five devices, a red one, a green one, a yellow one, a black one and a light blue one, one for each of the chosen children. No body knew quite what power these devices held, it was written that they were messengers, bringers of truth, powers for righteousness and summoners for the chosen children. Yet as well as this they also held even greater powers and mysteries, as each digivice created was formed with a tear of Omnipomon, the creator. This tear was shed for the love and preservation of the digital world and its inhabitants, and when the chosen children were in tune with this goal of protecting the digital world, they would unlock powers beyond anyones greatest imagination.

An incantation was made and the devices began to glow with their respective colours, they then levitated above the ground and in a shot of light they too were gone, heading for their hosts.

* * *

A rift was opened between the two worlds for the second time that morning, but this time it was a far greater rift which caused the sky to turn purple and the earth to tremble. Five children each on their way to school looked up at the sky in wonder.

* * *

Renji and Benji were at their school gates when it happened, the sky suddenly seemed to wobble and then a purple colour spread across it and the ground beneath their feet trembled.

"Earthquake?" Renji asked, clinging protectively to his brother and not caring who saw him in his moment of concern. There was another rumble and he grabbed his brother's hand and dragged him to the schools sports field, he had heard it was best to be in an open area during earthquakes. Sounded reasonable.

"R-Renji?" Benji asked nervously squeezing his twins hand, "What's happening?"

"Dunno." He said looking at the sky and squinting as he saw five sparks of light appear in the sky, two of them heading their way.

He nudged his brother and pointed. Benji stared too and the two sparks came closer, shooting down towards them until they hovered in the air infront of them.

"Err Renji?" Benji asked gazing at the yellow coloured glowing device infront of him.

"Dunno." Renji answered. The device infront of him was black.

"Perhaps we should touch it?" He asked his brother, enchanted by this strange object infront of him that had fallen out of the sky. They both nodded and reached out their hands tentatively. The second their skin came into contact with the devices they blacked out, remembering nothing more.

* * *

Roka walked to school slowly, nervously glancing around every corner before he walked around it, wondering if the bullies would be waiting for him there. The uncertainty or whether they would strike was eating him up inside. When? Where? How? It just drove him insane and it was the same every day.

Then the sky turned purple and there was a big jolt as the earth beneath his feet shook. Roka looked up and gasped in awe, grabbing a hold of a lamppost to steady himself he watched as five sparks appeared in the sky. Five different glowing dots in the sky.

Like multicoloured shooting stars they flew across the sky, one was heading in his direction. He decided to make a wish on it.

'_I wish I could escape from here,_' he closed his eyes desperately, '_Please just take me away._'

When he opened his eyes he saw that the glowing spark had flew directly to him and was now hovering mid air in front of him. It was some sort of device, like the Tamagotchi he used to have when he was younger, with a small screen and some little buttons. On it was some kind of engraving, it was a sort of ancient looking language that Roka though looked cool. The whole thing was no bigger than his small fist.

He reached out his hand and grabbed it, he felt himself being taken away and he knew that his wish had been granted.

"Thankyou," he whispered before blacking out. That was the last thing he remembered.

* * *

Jeri opened his eyes groggily and peeked at the alarm clock beside his bed.

"Hmmm, 8.56am." he mumbled sleepily. Then he sat up in shock, "8.56am!"

He should be in his registration group now! Crumbs!!

He leapt out of his bed and ran to the bathroom, quickly using the toilet and brushing his teeth frantically, wincing at the strong minty taste of all the toothpaste he had squeezed out onto his toothbrush. Then he threw on a top and some trousers, grabbed his goggles from his dressing table and shoved some clean socks in his mouth, stumbling out of his room and hopping down the stairs so that he could shove first one sock then the other sock on.

Luckily he didn't need to bother with breakfast or with brushing his hair, he could grab a snack at school during first break and his hair was just fine messed up, that was how he liked it.

He swung his school bag onto his shoulder and rammed his feet into his shoes, not bothering with laces, then he swiped his watch off the kitchen table and checked it, 8.59am. Crumbs!

He ran out of the front door and slammed it shut behind him, sprinting down the street on his way to school. Sensei Sasaki would be furious. Good job Jeri was the county's number one sprinter and cross country runner. He ran madly, enjoying the rush of adrenaline and the feeling of his heart pumping away like crazy.

It was now that the sky began to wobble, Jeri thought that the lack of oxygen might be getting to his brain and so he slowed down to catch his breath. The sky turned a dark purple colour and he shook his head. He would have to check in at the nurses' office when he reached school, today was just not his day.

He tried to run again, knowing he would be terribly late at this rate, but found that his muscles would not obey him. Then ground shock and he panicked, what on earth was going on here?

Perhaps it was all a nightmare, perhaps he hadn't really woke up yet.

Five sparks of coloured light shot out of the sky, scattering in different directions and one of them was heading his way. He stared as if mesmerized as the red spark flew down until it was right in front of him.

He saw that it was actually a device of some sort, with inscriptions on it and a screen and buttons. He reached out to grab it as his curiosity got the better of him and the world went black. He remembered nothing more.

* * *

Yumi sighed as she made her way to school. She suppressed a yawn. She was tired from the night before, caring for that sick girl.

'_Typical,_' she thought to herself, '_trust the kid to be sick on a school day when I have to get up early the next morning. Would it be too much to ask to be ill on a weekend?_'

Next time a kid came into her room in the middle of the night she would sent it right back out again. It just wasn't worth the hassle. Puking kids weren't her forte.

The sky turned purple and she rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

What the-?!

Was she really _that_ tired?

She stared up at the purple sky as five small glowing dots appeared, flying off in four directions, two of them heading together in the same direction towards that posh school down the road, one heading for the housing blocks near where her care home was, one heading for the north of the city and one heading directly for her. The green one.

She blinked trying to regain her senses. Perhaps Rukii had spiked her orange juice this morning, she wouldn't put it past him, that sneaky teenage rat.

Then the ground beneath her feet shook and she fell to the floor, grazing her knees and the palms of her hands, she frowned. What the hell was going on?

The green glowing thing shot down from the sky and landed right in front of her, casually defying all the rules of gravity, and physics and common sense. It hovered in the air about two feet off the ground, and she stared at it. Some sort of device, she reached out to grab it wanting a better look but as soon as her skin came into contact with it she blacked out.

Whatever happened after that she couldn't remember.

* * *

The five children were taken through the rift in dimensions to the digital world. They remembered nothing of the journey which was fortunate as journeys between time, space, matter and anti-matter are never pleasant, but they arrived in the digital world in one piece.

* * *

"They have arrived," Jijimon said thankfully, he felt the rift in space as it opened and closed and knew instinctively that the five chosen ones had passed through it. He looked down at the five in training digimon at his feet, "Go, find them. They will arrive on File Island. Go now."

"Right away Jijimon-sama," the five digimon bowed respectfully and rushed away to meet their partners excitedly. After a life time of waiting the children had finally come! They wondered what their partners would be like as they bounded off to look for them around File Island. Their adventure had begun at last!


	3. Chapter 3

**Unfortunately due to my incompetence with computers – damn technology – I have lost my original second chapter, so I now have to rewrite it, sorry about that, I will try and make it as close to the original as I can.**

**This is actually the second half of the original second chapter, as when I rewrote it it was much longer. So I hope you enjoy it and I apologise for the wait. I will get the next chapter up as soon as possible. Until then thank you to all those who have either read or read AND reviewed this story, I really appreciate it all! Much love to everyone xXx**

* * *

Jeri woke up with a pounding head ache and looked around him groaning.

"Huh?" he exclaimed in disbelief as he saw where he was, "Where is this?"

An odd looking creature with a horn on his head and no hands, feet or paws rushed over to him excitedly, Jeri jumped in fright. The creature was the size of a head, round and furry with large amber eyes to match his orange-golden fur. He was smiling happily at Jeri, as if glad to see him. Glad was an understatement, he positively buzzed with over excitement.

Jeri froze at the sight, was this some sort of strange hybrid animal experiment that had gone badly wrong?

"You're in the digital world." The creature chirped, beaming up at him cheerfully and hopped up and down like a little bundle of energy making Jeri feel tired just watching him. Not to mention the fact he talked. _He could talk!_ A talking monster, great, just what Jeri needed to make today that extra special bit crazier. He scrambled to his feet and backed away from the little fur ball as fast as he could. He just hoped that it wouldn't attack him with that painful looking horn or anything… That could be nasty.

He vaguely tried to remember what he had been drinking last night at the awards ceremony, surely it hadn't been this strong had it?

The horned creature followed him as he backed away, Jeri panicked and for the second time today he thanked the lord that he was a champion runner as he sprinted away as fast as he could, leaving the confused little creature behind to wonder what he had done wrong.

* * *

Renji and Benji woke up at the same time and sat up, gazing around them silently. They were in the middle of a large field and the sky was clear, but this was not the field that they had been in just a second ago and this was not the sky of Japan, something was wrong. There was not a single sky scraper or sign of civilisation in sight, only grass and trees and endless blue sky. It was unnerving, and peaceful and like no where they had ever been before.

Benji stood up and stretched, Renji did too, they felt unusually stiff and both had a splitting headache, but the stretching helped a little as they got their bearings and so did the fresh air.

"Where are we?" Benji asked looking around him and feeling slightly worried.

Renji raised an eyebrow, a nifty trick that he had taught himself a while ago. "How would I know?"

Benji shrugged lightly and began to walk around the field, gazing at everything in awe. Renji followed him casually, wanting to stay close to his twin as he suddenly felt vulnerable in this strange place and if there was one thing he hated it was feeling vulnerable. He was just glad that he had Benji here with him, something he would never admit. He knew that he would feel a million times worse on his own, he hated being separated from his twin even on a good day, but to be in a strange place without his brother would just break him.

"Well, I don't think we're in Japan any more bro," Benji said eventually, interrupting his brother's thoughts. They had explored the field for the best part of half an hour so far and it was as obvious as it could be that they were no where near Japan. Renji had never even heard of a place like this, so tranquil and untouched by civilisation anywhere near their country, or even the whole of Asia.

Renji sweatdropped at the obvious-ness of his brother's statement, "You think?"

Benji shrugged again, "Just saying."

"Bro, I could have told you that half an hour ago, spare me please." Renji sat down on the grass sighing loudly in exasperation.

Benji plonked down next to him, "Well, it's a nice field."

"And that makes it all better…" muttered Renji sarcastically, glaring at his over optimistic brother. Then he took out his black device from his pocket and turned it over in his hand, examining it. Benji watched him interestedly, seeing what he would do. After a while Renji still hadn't dared to press any of the buttons in case they were transported to the moon or something, so he gave up and smashed his fist on the ground in frustration.

He just wanted to go home and live out his crappy life in peace. But it seemed fate would not even allow him that.

"Damn world, damn glowing thing, damn stupid field!" He growled angrily, staring at his brother as if daring him to be cheerful despite everything.

But Benji knew better and just placed his arm around his brother, "I know" he said softly as his brother yanked up tufts grass to vent his frustration. Renji leant against him, comforted by his twin as always. He cooled down, and blushed. It was not like him to rant about things and he felt uncomfortable about it now, then again it was only to his brother who would never hold it against him anyway. But still.

It was then that they heard a noise behind them, a lot of rustling followed by some excited chatter and a squeal of delight.

"It's them, it's really them!" A high pitched voice reached their ears and they turned around in surprise. They were even more surprised to see that it was them that the voices were talking about and heading for, and even more surprised than that to see who the voices belonged to.

Two small creatures rushed towards them hurriedly, shrieking and chattering with massive grins on their faces, eyes shining. One of the creatures looked like a punked up brown seal with an orange mohican and big, bright blue eyes. He was quite small and had two long fins for feet and a small tail, his belly was white. He was the loudest and it was him who did the bulk of the chattering and screeching. The other creature looked like a small fireball with two little arms and a stitched up mouth, which was smiling slightly as he saw Renji. He had Rugby ball shaped blue eyes, which looked like orbs and a trail of flame behind him and he was the quieter of the two creatures.

The two brothers had had an insane day and creatures such as these would normally freak them out and have them running for dear life on any other day. But not today, and instead of running they just stared in disbelief. Could this day get any stranger if it tried?

Something about the fireball creature appealed to Renji, '_That's my kind of monster_' he thought, smiling slightly.

Benji on the other hand immediately warmed to the goofy, loud, funny little seal, and he smiled at him warmly as the creatures approached them.

They slowly stood up to greet the funny creatures and were immediately knocked right back down as the monsters ran straight into them, hugging their new found human partner and causing them to topple back over to the ground. Benji gasped at the embrace, Renji flinched and his slight smile disappeared immediately.

"Oh Benjiro! It's really you!" the seal exclaimed, wrapping his fins firmly around Benji who struggled in vain to get back up.

Benji and Renji shared glances, how did the seal know his name? How did the seal even _talk?!_ What was going on here? Was this some lame ass TV show, like Candid Camera or Punk'd? If it was they had gone way over the top here... Or were they just dreaming?

Too many questions so Renji decided to ask the first one which came to his head,

"Who are you two?" he demanded gruffly. He wasn't used to being hugged and shoved to the ground by anyone, especially by crazy fireballs he had just met and it had seriously unnerved him.

"Well," the fireball creature said from on top of Renji's stomach, "I'm DemiMeramon and this is my friend Bukamon, and we're your digimon partners."

"Digimon partners?" Benji asked in awe

"Yes, we're-" DemiMeramon began.

Bukamon cut him off and clapped his fins together impatiently, "Yes, yes, Jijimon-sama will explain that to you, but explainations can wait till then, we need to take you to him – now. So come on. Chop chop!"

"You expect us to just go with you?" Renji snorted in disbelief. He raised his eyebrow again and DemiMeramon tried to copy him thinking it was cool, but failed miserably.

Benji was the only one to notice this and he quickly suppressed a laugh. He then turned to look at his brother, "Renji!" He hissed quietly elbowing him – gently – in the ribs and frowning, shocked at his suspicious and down right rude attitude. He turned to his digimon and smiled encouragingly, "lead the way Bukamon."

Bukamon grinned happily and started to walk, the others followed him. Renji scowled, how could his brother be so trusting of monsters –_MONSTERS!_ – that they had barely just met in a random field? It was beyond him. DemiMeramon looked up at him sadly, he was upset that Renji was upset.

Benji walked ahead with Bukamon and talked happily, asking questions and even getting a couple of legible answers as well, at least between all of the digimon's chatter and squeals of delight. It could be said that Bukamon was happy to meet his human partner after all this time.

DemiMeramon sidled towards Renji cautiously as they walked and soon ended up by his side. He said nothing, remembering the boy's startled reaction to his earlier embrace and wisely decided to keep his head down for a while. At least until the human boy had gotten used to the idea of having a talking fireball for a friend. Until then he just wanted to be near his human, even if they didn't speak. Renji's very prescence was enought to make the little digimon feel warm inside.

Renji looked down at the nervous little fireball by his side.

'_DemiMeramon,_' he thought to himself, '_digimon partner… I suppose it could be worse_' he huffed.

Which was his way of admitting to himself that he was okay with the idea. Perhaps he was warming to his digimon too, at least, in his own way.

But he would never admit it.

* * *

Jeri hid panting heavily in a thick bush glancing around to check that he'd escaped that monster. It was following him around, he could swear it was, but he had finally lost it. He collapsed to the ground and sighed in relief as the blood pounded in his ears.

Then he heard small panting coming from directly behind him, "You… Finally stopped… Running?" it asked exhausted.

Jeri turned around and shrieked, the monster was there again! He scrambled to his feet but his legs felt like jelly and he soon collapsed back down, he just couldn't run anymore. He lay on the ground and began to break out in a cold sweat as he awaited his fate at the hands of this strange creature.

The monster cautiously approached him, worried he might take off at any minute. All this silly running was no fun at all. He didn't want to scare his partner any more, he wondered why he reacted the way he did, all he had done was talk to him. Still, he was talking no chances now, he walked up slowly and bit his lip.

"Who… What are you?" Jeri asked fearfully through gasps as the creature approached him.

"My name's Tsunomon," chirped the creature happy to have a chance to introduce himself after all their running – _finally_. "And I'm a digimon, a digital monster. More to the point," he cleared his throat nervously, not quite sure how Jeri would react, "I'm your digimon partner."

Jeri raised an eyebrow, how odd had this day been?

"Well Tsuno-Tsunomon?" He hesitated, unsure if he'd said that right, Tsunomon nodded in encouragement and he carried on, "I'm Jeri, a human boy."

"Hiya Jeri," Tsunomon smiled slightly, "and erm… now that we're speaking does that mean we can stop all that running around? I'm tired and hungry." His stomach rumbled as if to agree and he pouted miserably. He hated being hungry.

Jeri blushed and mumbled an apology feeling very silly.

"So," Tsunomon said, bouncing closer to Jeri, "I think we should get going to meet Jijimon-sama now, he's expecting us and we don't wanna be late."

"Jijimon-sama?" Jeri asked, not really surprised at anything anymore, more curious.

"Uh huh, he's our wise elder and sensei. He's gonna explain to you why you're here and" again Tsunomon's stomach growled, "there'll be food."

"Then lets go!" Jeri grinned at his digimon for the first time and Tsunomon grinned back, eyes sparkling happily.

Tsunomon nodded enthusiastically and led the way.

* * *

Roka woke up and remembered what had happened, from the strange sparks to the odd device falling from the sky.

He was free. Free from the bullies, free from the pain and humiliation and most of all free from the constant fear.

He uncurled himself and stretched, basking in the warmth of the sun light. He looked around him and jumped up for joy when he saw that he was on a beech and not only that but he was the only person in miles, he could not see a single other person at all, anywhere. He had a whole beautiful beach all to himself!

He slipped off his shoes and socks and rolled up his school trousers happily, running over to the sea and paddling his sweaty feet in the refreshingly chilly water. The foam hit his face as he splashed about, waking him up. It was wonderful. He leapt over the waves at the shore and kicked the water high into the sky, causing it to fall down and reflect to sun at funny angles. The falling droplets looked like diamonds as they glittered in the glare of the tropical sun. Some of the splashes fell onto Roka's hair, dampening it and causing small droplets to run down his face. He shook his head and his long-ish blonde hair waved around as he dried himself off like a dog. He giggled as his hair fell back in a damp mop around his eyes. He soon dried in the hot sun.

Eventually, though, Roka got bored with splashing around in the sea, there was only so much you could do on your own and he began to wish he had a friend to share this amazing beach he had discovered here. Where ever 'here' was.

"I know I'll make a sand castle instead." He smiled, he didn't need any help with that and it would be just as fun on his own as it would be with a friend. Well almost.

He dried off his feet and busily started to build his sandcastle with his little hands, digging and patting, piling up and splashing occasionally. He soon had a very big lump of semi-wet sand and a circular ditch around it as the moat. It wasn't a work of art but it was still impressive and Roka stood back to admire his handy work.

Then he yawned, it was tiring work all of that building and the sun was still glaring down on him. He realised that he was beginning to get hungry and thirsty but more than that he felt sleepy. He could just curl up and fall asleep right here happily. But it was too hot to fall asleep right where he was, he'd get burnt to a crisp by the hot, tropical sun shine. He looked around for a better option and saw a tree which had a large patch of shade under it. He went to sit under it when he noticed a strange pink blob flying towards him. It looked like an over sized hamster and he rubbed his tired eyes in astonishment.

The blob was heading right to him and he stood still, blinking occasionally in case this was a mirage. The blob set itself down next to him and grinned. It was pale pink with little black beady eyes and long thin ears/wings which it used to fly. It was small and round with four tiny legs and a grin shaped in a 'w'. Its cheeks blushed a little with two slightly darker circles of pink under his eyes. He smiled up at Roka, who smiled back and introduced himself.

"Hiya I'm Roka, who are you?"

"Hi Roka, my names Tokomon and I'm your digimon." He smiled up at him and his eyes closed as he bowed slightly, "Your best friend and partner." He added.

"Digimon?" Roka mumbled confused, before shaking his head slightly, did that matter? He had a friend. "Best friend?" He asked a bit louder.

"Yup, best friend." Tokomon grinned and flew up to perch on Roka's head. "Your head feels warm, I think you need shade" Tokomon mused as he curled up on his human's head and nestled in his hair.

"Yeah," Roka nodded slowly, "I was gonna go sit under that big tree."

"I've got a better idea," Tokomon closed his eyes, comfortable in his new nestling place, "Jijimon-sama is expecting us, his mansion is nice and cool and he will have food and nice drinks. Sound good?"

Roka nodded enthusiastically. He had no idea who Jijimon-sama was but he didn't care, the thought of shade, food and drink was enough to excite him. His nodding disturbed Tokomon for a minute and he flew off startled. Roka giggled and apologised as he realised what he had done, his digimon giggled too and led the way to Jijimon's mansion as they chattered excitedly.

* * *

Yumi opened her eyes slowly, not remembering how she had come to be asleep again. She looked around her and gasped, where on earth was she?

She saw a pair of eyes staring back at her and she opened her eyes a bit more to see a furry head with a cat's tail and cat's eyes watching her as she lay there, guarding her. Yumi sat up and the creature smiled at her, her hazel eyes lighting up as she saw that Yumi had woken up. Yumi winced, not knowing what was going on and not used to being smiled at.

The creature was quite cute, Yumi noted as she stared back at her guardian critically, with yellow-green fur and big hazel cat's eyes It had a cat's tail with purple stripes across it, two ears on top of it's head and no real body, it appeared that it's head was it's body. It's mouth was big and crooked, grinning up at her and stretching nearly from ear to ear.

"You're awake," it smiled sincerely.

Again Yumi winced, "What's it to you fuzz ball?"

The creature looked slightly taken aback by Yumi's coldness and attitude, but then bravely smiled again and said "Well I'm your digimon, its my job to care."

"My what?" Yumi asked, staring icily at the creature who met her gaze with no sign of discomfort except that it bit its lip. Impressive, people normally cowered under her glare.

"Your digimon," the creature paused slightly, "your partner and erm…" now the creature dropped Yumi's gaze and blushed slightly, "best friend."

Yumi glared in disgust, "I don't need no best friend fuzzy."

The creature looked up again, staring right into the girl's eyes and making her squirm uncomfortably, "Everyone needs a friend Yumi."

Yumi jumped up at the mention of her name, "How the hell do you know my name?"

"I'm your digimon." The creature said simply, as if that explained it.

"Listen to me fur ball," Yumi spat angrily, "you're nothing to me and don't even pretend to claim to know anything about me. Anything. Cause you don't know me, you know nothing, hear me? Nothing." She felt her hand shake slightly and bit her lip. How dare some little creature claim to be her best friend, partner and digimon – what ever that meant. Yumi had no friends, she didn't need anyone, least of all some talking head.

"But Yumi…"

"Don't 'but Yumi' me, just get away from me. I don't care who you think you are, you are nothing to me. I don't _need_ friends." She was ranting and fiddling with her fingers, but she couldn't help it. No one had ever really wanted to be her friend before, she had always been too cold and dismissive for anyone to consider actually getting to know her, and suddenly she was faced with a cat's head which seemed to want to be her best friend. Pah, not likely. Yumi had gone this long without needing a friend and she was fine, she didn't need anyone.

"Everyone needs friends."

"Not me." Yumi was now shaking all over and she didn't know why. What was it about this creature that had got to her, had she been caught off guard?

"Tough," the creature puffed its little chest out determinedly, "you've got one. Name's Nyaromon."

Yumi grunted.

_Nyaromon, what a pretty name…_

But who cares what her name was?

She turned away and Nyaromon bounded up to her, "We ought to get meet the others now Yumi," she said softly. Handling her.

Yumi winced, no one handled her. Yet at the same time what else could she do, she had no idea where she was or what she had got her self into this time. Just her luck. Against her better judgement she nodded coolly to the little digimon and allowed herself to be lead away to God knows where.

Nyaromon looked up at her partner sadly, but then perked up slightly, '_No worth while friendship was ever achieved easily_' she told herself determinedly. They would be friends yet, she knew this deep down in her heart, she just hoped that time would come soon. She could tell Yumi was just hurt and scared of any relationship, but her pain hurt Nyaromon too and she didn't know what to do.

She'd figure it out though. Eventually.

And Yumi would just have to get used to having a friend around cause Nyaromon wasn't going anywhere.


	4. Chapter 4

Tokomon and Roka traveled happily, chattering away to each other. Tokomon was intrigued with the human world and pressed his partner for details.

"What's a fudge brownie?" He looked down at Roka from his perch on the boy's head.

"Oooh Toko - Roka's nickname for Tokomon - a fudge brownie is just _heaven_..." Roka sighed, picturing a mountain of fudge brownie before him, drooling slightly at the very thought. Tokomon wrinkled up his nose at the sight of drool.

"What's heaven?"

Roka looked up at Tokomon suprised at this, "You never heard of heaven?" Tokomon shook his head, "Well, its where you go when you're dead. With the angels. And its like paradise... all the chocolate fudge brownies and ice cream and candy floss you can eat. And everyone you love is there too. All the bad people go to hell instead." Then he winced realising what he had said. '_Bad people... was his dad a bad person? Would he go to hell??_' He shook his head, '_no, Dadda's not bad. He's trying to get better, he's not bad at all! I love you dadda..._'

Tokomon noticed Roka's silence and looked to see if he was okay. "Roka...?"

Roka snapped out of his thoughts and looked up at his new friend, "Uh huh?"

"What's wrong?"

"Oh," he hesitated, "nothing."

"Okay," Tokomon didn't buy it, but still. "So what's your favorite pudding then? Except Brownies. Mine's coconut and raspberry ripple on shortbread, Mmmmm..." He rubbed his pink, round little belly and sighed.

Roka grinned, "Yum, but it can't compare to my Aunt's chocolate fudge cake with custard. Warmed up and served with Hob Nob biscuits to dip in the chocolate sauce and custard when you've finished... Aunty Lalida was the best at cooking, I'll have to take you to her house sometime Toko. Your belly would just explode!"

They giggled and carried on chattering, Tokomon was glad to see his partner back to his merry self again. He wondered what it was that had upset him?

But he never really had any time to think about it as they heard a rumble in the bushes to their right.

Roka froze and Tokomon took a protective stance on his head.

Then there was yet another rumble in the bushes and out popped an angry digimon, that looked like a strange hybrid cross between a frog and an aquatic dinosaur. It was green and had blue striped markings on its body and a large orange fin on its head. It also had a small tail and four little fins for feet with razor sharp, nasty looking claws at the end of them.

'_No where near as cute as Toko,_' Roka thought affectionatley, looking up at his digimon.

"What are you two doing here? This beech and the area around it belong to me!" It said angrily, its eyes were completely white, with no pupils or irises at all and it had a malicious smile across its face.

Tokomon scowled, this digimon was obviously looking for trouble.

"Look," Roka said nervously, freeked out by the white eyes, just as Tokomon was. "We're lost, we're just passing through, we mean no harm, okay?"

"Do I care what you mean?" The digimon snarled, "I am Betamon and you don't want to mess with me, kids."

"I resent that!" Tokomon screeched indignantly, who was this rookie calling kids?

"You want to make something of it blobby?" Betamon turned to Tokomon who was staring at him angrily, he laughed evilly as if possessed and attacked.

"**Electric Shock!**" Betamon fired a shock of energy out from his mouth, aiming directly at Roka and Tokomon. Tokomon quickly pulled Roka out of they way and they fell to the floor, gasping. They hadn't been expecting that.

Tokomon quickly stood up and placed himself between Roka and Betamon, keeping his friend out of harms way.

"**Bubble Blow!**" He yelled, hitting Betamon on his head and knocking him over. Roka watched in amazement as his digimon faught to protect him.

Then, slowly Betamon's eyes began to cry, his tears were white. As he cried the white tears the white of his round eyes seemed to seep out with the tears and was replaced with black. _This child and his pet are my enemies,_ he heard a voice say in his head, _they are to be destroyed. This is My will._

He bowed his head slowly and got up, "Yes my master, Your will is my command." His voice had changed, it now had no sign of any emotion or tone and it sent a chill down Roka and Tokomon's spine. They exchanged glances, who was Betamon talking to? Whose will was his command?

Then he turned around to face them and they saw his eyes, completely black but still with the white tears seaping out of them, streaking down his face.

'_What was left of his soul..._' Tokomon thought sadly.

Roka cried out at the sight, not understanding what was going on and just seeing this digimon who looked possessed, with black eyes and white tears. He scrambled away and squeezed his eyes shut not wanting to look.

Tokomon, however, knew exactly what was going on.

The white eyes had meant that the Evil Master had possessed Betamon already, before they had met him, wiping his soul blank so that this digimon could be manipulated with ease. Then when the Evil Master needed his service for any special task he would possess them, purging them of their soul completely and allowing it to drain through their eyes, leaving only darkness.

He flinched, it had been the Evil Master that Betamon had been talking to just, meaning that He had already spotted them. It was time to run.

"Roka, quick. We need to get out of here. Run!"

Roka lost no time with that, he quickly scrambled up to his feet and sprinted off with Tokomon just in front, leading the way.

They could hear Betamon behind them as he gained distance. Roka was only little and his two small legs were no match for Betamon's four strong fins, so it was not long before Betamon tackled Roka to the ground, swiping at his face with a clawed fin.

"**Bubble Blow!**" Tokomon roared, as his attack hitting Betamon just before he could touch the terrofied Roka. Betamon was sent flying and Roka was free.

"Th-Thanks Toko," he gasped, still in shock.

Tokomon nodded, "No-one touches my partner."

They ran on, but again Betamon caught them up easily. Tokomon's attacks seemed to have no real effect on him, they just seemed to annoy him even more.

"Run," said Tokomon as he turned to face Betamon, he planned to hold him off long enough for Roka to get a sufficient head start.

Roka stopped, "No way, not without you."

"I'll catch up," he said quickly, "Just go. Now."

"**Electric Shock!**" A ball of electricity hit Roka on his leg and caused him to fall to the ground in pain. He groaned in agony as the electricity ran up and down his body's nuerones and slightly singed his inner organs He desperately faught off the urge to cry. Instead he spasmed and writhed, gritting his teeth, as the electricity fried him. Then the elecrticity passed through and then his only pain was in his leg where he had been hit, apart from that he was just a little shaky.

'_I should be dead,_' he thought, amazed, '_but I'm just fine except a bad leg and some shaking. This is surreal._'

Tokomon then rounded on Betamon angrily. Betamon just smirked at him, dark eyes boring into him, his tears falling as his soul was lost drop by drop.

"You gonna fight now, hamster?" He leered.

Tokomon let out a low growl and sucked in a gust of air, inflating to about twice his size. Yes, he was going to attack - he was going to attack with all of his might.

"**BUBBLE BLOW!**" He yelled vengefully, determination etched all over his features.

Again his attack hit Betamon head on, but all that it seemed to do was push him backwards and annoy him even more.

'_No..._' Tokomon gasped, '_Why don't my attacks work? I need to protect Roka. I can't let him down._'

"**Beta Slugger!**" Betamon yelled as his fin flew towards Tokomon. It was a direct hit, Tokomon fell to the floor injured and weakened.

"Toko!" Roka exclaimed sitting up and groaning as the pain in his leg jolted through his whole body, "Toko, are you alright?"

Betamon smiled sadistically, how noble and charming, friends to the end. How He would find amusement from hearing of the child's and his digimon's last moments. And how he cherished being the one who would be able to tell Him.

Tokomon rose and glared at the amphibious digimon, he found that he no longer felt weak from his injuries, one look at Roka had filled him with new strength.

'_I won't let you down, Roka. I will fight._'

There was a blinding flash of bright blue light and Roka looked down to see that it was coming from his device. Tokomon felt power surge through him as he too began to glow with that same blue aura. His eyes began to shine blue too, not their normal peaceful light, baby-blue, but a different, powerful, energy ridden vibrant blue. He cried out as the light devoured him, and Betamon and Roka had to cover their eyes from the brightness.

**Tokomon digivolved to... Tsukaimon!**

When Roka opened his eyes he was amazed, for where Tokomon had just been was a new creature. This creature was slightly similar to what Tokomon had been in that he had the same hampster like appearance. But it was now much bigger, and his skin was a dark shade of purple, with his tummy a cream colour. Also, instead of the little, thin pink ears that Tokomon had, this creature had large, thick ears which looked a lot like bat's wings and he had four little paws with three black fingers on each - although they weren't really fingers, they were more like claws with no sharp edges.

Roka gasped in awe at the sight of him.

Betamon did a double take and began to panic, this was not how he'd imagined this battle going at all. But he couldn't fail, He wouldn't like that. And you didn't want to upset Him, that'd be suicide.

He grimaced and readjusted his stance to a fierce attacking stance, masking his nerves.

He would fight for the Master, he would not fail Him.

_Good,_ a majestic voice boomed in his head, _Now go destroy them my servant. Do as I wish._

"Yes, Master. As you wish, right away." His lips turned up into a smirk and he charged at the newly evolved digimon.

Tsukaimon dodged and chuckled. Then he looked at the enemy digimon seriously, "You will pay for what you did to Roka!" He chuckled softly to himself and puffed out his chest, "For I am Tsukaimon, a rookie level, and I'm gonna teach you a lesson about messing with my friends," then he smiled, he couldn't help adding, "Frog breath!" Just because he could, after all, now that he'd digivolved this Betamon was no threat and he could allow himself a little fun.

Betamon regained his composure and attacked again, "**Electric Shock!**" But Tsukaimon was just too fast for him, and he easily dodged out of the way.

"That all you got? That Electric Shock?" he taunted, "it's gettin' a little repetitive." He tutted and winked at Roka who laughed.

"You tell him Toko," he said happily, nursing his tender injury.

"It's Tsukai now, now Toko any more Roka," he grinned proudly, "I'm evolved!"

"Oh, okay Tsukai, you tell him!"

Tsuakimon bowed theatrically to his friend and grinned, his eyes sparkled as he was clearly enjoying this. Tsukaimon was known for his love of fighting.

Betamon chose this moment when Tsukaimon's arrogance got the better of him to attack, "**Electric Shock!**"

Tsukaimon was hit, but it didn't damage him greatly, he just got back up and shook it off, "Ouch." he said simply, "But now it's your turn frog breath."

"**Purple Fog!**" he yelled as a thick fog descended over them, completely blinding and disorienting Betamon.

He coughed and panicked, not knowing where Tsukaimon could be.

Tsukaimon silently flew behind him, '_This is such a great game,_' he thought happily.

"**Slamming Attack!**"

Tsukaimon's attack his Betamon on his bottom and he squeeled like a piglet, running forward and bumping into a tree. Tsukaimon giggled mischievously, delighted by all of this. He then flew around to Betamon's left side and crept up close, until he was breathing right down his left ear.

"Boo!" He shrieked, giving Betamon the fright of his life. Tsukaimon burst into another fit of giggles before deciding he should wrap this battle up. Jijimon-Sama would not be impressed if they were late, and there would be plenty of time for practical jokes later.

As Betamon hurried away Tsukaimon yelled "**Slamming Attack!**" and hit Betamon right between the eyes.

Betamon colapsed completely limp, like a sack of potatoes and Tsukaimon saw the darkness seep out of his eyes in the form of more tears. Black tears covering white tears until all that was left was nothing. His eyes were empty and they haunted him.

"**Purple Fog!**" He shouted, and the fog dissipated.

Roka came over to see what had happened and flinched at the sight of Betamon and his terrible eyes. Tsukaimon bit his lip and used his little paws to gently close his eyelids, hiding the horror of the sight from Roka and giving the fallen digimon back some dignity.

"This is why you're here." He whispered sadly, looking up at Roka with mournful eyes, a deep contrast to the mischief that had danced around in them a second ago. "You're here to save us from this."

"Me?" Roka asked in shock, "but I'm weak, I can't help anybody." He thought immediatley of Lucia and sighed sadly.

"You helped me." Tsukaimon said simply, remembering how it had been the thought of guarding Roka which had given him the strength to digivolve.

Roka bit his lip and considered this, still not quite convinced in his own ability yet unable to argue his digimon's point.

They then silently buried the body of Betamon. Tsukaimon insisted of wiping away the poor digimons tears, removing any trace of the Evil Master's influence and hoping that the digimon would be allowed to rest in peace.

Tsukaimon found himself crying as he lay the palm leaves over the digimon's lifeless body (AN - they bury him for a reason, at this point in the fic I don't want them to live again as digitamas, that will come later...)

This was a brother digimon he was laying to rest here, this was what the Evil Master was doing to digimon every where. He remembered the eyes and winced.

'_We will defeat the Evil Master,_' he thought determinedly, '_and we'll fight for each other,_' he looked tenderly at his partner, '_and for the digimon everywhere who are used and destroyed by His dark forces. And I will do it for Betamon. So that his there will be no more deaths and we will all live in a world rid of evil._'

He placed the last palm leaf on his body and bowed his head respectfully.

He noticed that Roka was also busy doing something, tying two twigs together in a cross shape.

He watched as Roka slowly walked forward and stabbed the cross into the ground next to where Betamon was buried.

"It's to safe guard his soul." He murmured to his digimon quietly.

"Oh." Said Tsukaimon.

Then they turned away and walked on, leaving Betamon behind to head for Jijimon-sama before noon.

_Lost but never forgotten_, in their hearts that poor digimon would remain forever.

Betamon, their first casualty of war.

* * *

**_Okay, this chapter was very Roka-Tokomon-Tsukaimon focussed.  
Sorry if you didn't quite like that.  
The next one, if all goes to plan, will be a Renji-Benji-Digimon focussed one (especially for Ravn MTM, who seems to like the twins, lmao)  
Then I will hopefully move on to the Jijimon scene and let them get the good old explaination-of-the-digidestined-destiny type thing._**

**_If you have any ideas that you would like me to explore - ie you want me to look at other characters and their journey to Jijimon or something - feel free to ask.  
If not then that's my game plan._**

**_Thankyou all so much for reading  
I hope that you enjoyed it  
Much love to every one from Blonde Eko xXx_**


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay cheers for the reviews guys**

**Thankyou so much NoRatCat and Ravn MTM for your continued support and for reading my story**

* * *

Benji and Renji made their way through the field and the woods with their digimon partners Bukamon and DemiMeramon peacefully enough. Renji even spoke a bit to the bashful DemiMeramon by his side, but only briefly.

"So," he said to the little creature suddenly, after a while of silence. "You're like... a fireball then?"

DemiMeramon looked up, slightly shocked at the sudden speech from his partner, he nodded. "Yup, thats me," he sighed slightly, "the freeky fireball."

Renji scowled, "Whats so freeky?" he asked sharply.

"Well..." DemiMeramon faulted, "I'm hardly cute."

Renji snorted, "Cute is overrated. You're fine."

It was not said caringly, or warmly, but it was enough to show that Renji liked him and DemiMeramon's eyes shone happily.

"Thanks," he whispered delightedly, his stitched up mouth curled upwards in a rare smile. His flames turned a slightly pinkish hue for a moment, he was blushing. Then he returned quickly back to normal.

"Don't mention it." Renji dismissed quickly, slightly uncomfortable. The silence resumed.

Meanwhile Benji and Bukamon chatted away happily, "So Bukamon, tell me, this is a whole other world right? The digital world?"

Bukamon nodded excitedly (AN - _Excitedly_ is Bukamon's main adjective, he's basically hyperactive and adorable! Imagine Jar Jar Bink's - his goofyness and adorableness - mixed with a bundle of energy and excitement and you have Bukamon.) "Yesh, Yesh! Whole new world, its my world!"

"And we're here to save it?!" Benji's eyes sparkled, he craved adventure.

Bukamon nodded even more until Benji was afraid his head might drop off. "Yesh we're the digidestined. Yesh yesh. Jijimon-sama will explain it all Benjiro! Don't you worry!"

"Just call me Benji," he grinned.

"Benji, Benji! Yesh, and you call me Buka. Benji and Buka!! Best team ever!"

Benji laughed and scooped the little seal up into his arms, "Yup, that's us."

"Hmmmmm," he sighed as he snuggled into Benji, "Yesh, us the great team."

Benji smiled softly as he stroked Bukamon's mohecan. He'd always begged his parents for a pet, now he'd got more than he'd bargained for in this little creature. A talking seal with a mohecan... Brilliant or what?!

Suddenly there was a noise in the bushes to their left, a scraping and growling. Like some sort of rabid dog scuffling around in there, angry and ready to attack. They all froze and Bukamon jumped to the ground, taking a protective stance in front of his partner.

Out came an angry digimon, which looked amusingly like a mushroom. It had a purple shroom with small yellow cirles on it and two arms and two legs, both of which looked muscular and wirey for such a small digimon. On its hands it wore bright neon pink gloves with skull and cross bones patterened onto them, a sign that this fungus was potentially lethal. On its feet it wore the same bright pink boots.

Its eyes were unnaturally white.

Bukamon and DemiMeramon took one look at the eyes, grabbed their partners and fled. But the mushroom digimon was not as slow as he seemed and caught up with them quickly.

"**Mushroom Mash!**" He shouted angrily.

The attack headed straight for Renji, who paled at the sight of it, but DemiMeramon launched out in front of him and took the blow instead, yelping slightly.

"Baka!" - _Idiot_ - Renji cried in panic, as he saw his new friend take the hit. He ran over to him worriedly and bit his lip.

DemiMeramon got up, slightly dazed but without a scratch and Renji was more relieved than he would care to admit. "Not baka," DemiMeramon corrected weakly, "Friend."

Renji didn't know what to say so he just stood there silently.

"You have no buisness here," a shrill voice suddenly piped up, everyone turned to the mushroom digimon. "Get out of my forest!"

"Who the hell are you?" Renji asked angrily.

"Mushroomon, and this is my wood area so leave now." His white eyes stared at the four trespassers soulessly.

Benji shivered as he looked into the eyes, "_What's wrong with him?_" he whispered to Bukamon.

"_Evil has invaded his soul..._" Bukamon whispered back.

"We're just passing through Mushroomon," DemiMeramon said diplomaticaly.

They all hoped that they could get away with this and be on their way, and they might have done. But Mushroomon began to cry, one tear drop after another, white, milky and gloopy tears, flowing from his eyes. The white was slowly replaced with black and his expression quickly changed. Any expression on his face was dropped and his mouth formed one straight, determined line.

_Bring them to me. They are my prize._ A voice in his head whispered.

Mushroomon nodded his head and turned to them with a hungry expression.

"You're all mine digidestined" he snarled.

_Bring them to me. Dead or alive._

"Yes Master, Your will is my command."

"H-his eyes..." Renji stuttered as the tears flowed down the digimon's face, "what happened to his eyes?!"

"He's lost." DemiMeramon said, before he dragged Renji away from the possessed digimon as fast as he could, Benji and Bukamon following. "He's been claimed."

Renji had a thousand more questions he wanted to ask, but knew that now just wasn't the time. He simply gulped and allowed himself to be dragged to safety by his digimon.

"**Fungus Cruncher!**" They heard him yell behind them.

Then Renji heard his twin scream in pain and whirled round, running back to him in a flash. "Benji!"

Benji had been hit by the attack and was on the ground in pain. Bukamon was standing protectively in front of him, determination on his face, he seemed serious for once, Renji thought approvingly. Deadly serious.

Renji reached his twin and cared for him as their digimon both stood in front of them protectively, matching Mushroomon shot for shot now.

"**Mushroom Mash**!"

"**Bubble Blow!**" Shot back Bukamon.

"**Fireball!**" Attacked DemiMeramon.

Mushroomon's attack hit Bukamon and both the in training digimon's attacks hit their target spot on. Bukamon was slightly injured but carried on fighting and the two of them began to wear the rookie digimon down bit by bit.

"**Bubble Blow!**"

"**Fireball!**"

"Yeah!" shouted Benji enthusiastically, cheering on their digimon despite his injury, "Show that vegitable how you do it!"

Bukamon turned to grin at his partner and that was when he was hit another time with Mushroomon's "**Mushroom Mash!**"

Bukamon was sent flying this time, and heavily weakened.

"Buka!" cried Benji worriedly, trying to get up and go over to his digimon, but failing miserably.

Bukamon struggled to get up too, but found that he hadn't got the strength. He groaned in frustration as he fell back to the ground. He didn't give up though, he was a persistent little seal and he kept trying, but he just hadn't got the energy to get back up and fight.

DemiMeramon was left to fend for himself alone, "**Fireball!**" he yelled as he rained down attack after attack on the rookie digimon. Unfortunateley Mushroomon was quicker than he looked, as they had already found out when running from him, and he was able to dodge the attacks easily. Only one or two hit him and DemiMeramon was beginning to get exhausted.

Mushroomon smiled, his black eyes boring into them as he attacked DemiMeramon once more. "**Fungus Cruncher!**"

DemiMeramon too was send flying and was too injured to get back up to fight. He was no longer able to defend Renji...

'_Renjiro, I will protect you. I will find a way..._' He gritted his teeth and forced himself to get back up shakily. He faced Mushroomon fiercely and shouted his attack, "**Fireball!**"

It hit Mushroomon directly and shocked him slightly, but none of their attacks had had much effect and this one was the same. It suprised him, nothing more.

Bukamon watched DemiMeramon and frowned determinedly, he drew on his last reserves of strength and stood up as well.

"**Bubble Blow!**" He shouted as his attack too hit Mushroomon head on. Mushroomon shook off both attacks and grinned.

"I thought I had beaten you, but I was wrong. You can't last much longer though, you must realise that you are just entertainment?" He smirked and it was then that he decided to change tactics, aiming instead for the two teenagers. "**Fungus Cruncher!**" He howled as his attack raged towards the twins.

Bukamon and DemiMeramon watched in horror, they had to do something to protect their partners!

They acted without thinking, their only concern to protect the twins at all costs. They both jumped up and threw themselves in the way of the attack, taking the blows themselves.

But they didn't feel a thing.

And then there was a glow, a glow so bright that it engulfed them and revitalised their energy to full. Even more than full in fact, overflowing. So much so that they cried out as they light consumed them.

The boys watched as this happened, and as they saw the glowing they noticed that each of their digivices were also glowing, one with a pure white light, Benji, and one with a dark light, Renji. Their digimon were consumed in these lights from their digivices and the twins watched as their partners cried out and began to change.

"_**Bukamon digivolved to... Gomamon!**_"

"**_DemiMeramon digivolved to... DemiDevimon!_**"

When the light had dimmed they could make out two figures, different than the figures of Bukamon and DemiMeramon.

The first was a seal type creature with white fur and purple markings around his eyes and on his paws. He was bigger than Bukamon but his mohecan was smaller, and his eyes were a clear green, his claws were long, black and sharp looking, he looked adorable and sweet but on closer inspection it was clear you did not want to mess with this rookie level digimon. Benji gasped. The second digimon was a bat type digimon, with big long wings, a black mask over his face, cheery yellow eyes and long talons with three sharp red claws at the end. A skull and cross bones were pictured on his forehead, Renji just stared.

"DemiMeramon?" Renji asked uncertainly.

"Nope kiddo," the black bat creature said in a different tone of to DemiMeramon's shy voice. "Name's DemiDevimon, at your service."

"And y-you Buka?" Benji stammered slightly.

"I'm Gomamon now Benji, we're rookie level so that means we're faster, stronger and better!"

Benji looked at Renji in confusion and Renji raised and eyebrow back.

'_DemiDevimon... A devil?_' Renji thought in disbelief, '_Hmmm figures._'

Mushroomon hesitated, the digimon could digivolve?! What was going on here?

He trembled slightly as they turned on him, angry looks on their faces. And no wonder.

_Destroy them. Bring them to me. That is my will._

"Yes master," said Mushroomon, all fear suddenly wiped from his face, "Your will is my command."

DemiDevimon and Gomamon shared a glance, "Lets do this partner," Gomamon said cheerfully.

"Gladly," grinned DemiDevimon sinisterly.

"**Claw Attack!**" Gomamon shouted.

"**Demi Dart!**" DemiDevimon attacked as their attacks hit in the same place together.

Mushroomon didn't even feel what hit him, his destruction was immediate.

His eyes wept black tears and he fell to the ground, limp and lifeless. They had defeated him.

Gomamon walked tentatively over to the fallen digimon and sighed, using his claws to carefully shut the digimon's eyes closed and hide the eyes. It was the eyes which haunted you.

Benji came over too, followed by Renji and DemiDevimon, all were silent. What could you say?

Benji knelt down and whispered "It wasn't his fault was it?"

"No," Gomamon looked away from the lifeless body, "He was possessed."

Renji knelt on the other side and began to wipe away the gloopy black and white tears, "It looked wrong..." He said sadly.

"It always does." Said DemiDevimon, his usually mischievous eyes sorrowful and sombre.

After a respectful pause the four left, headed for Jijimon-sama and their destiny. But now they were unsure of what they would find, this had drove into them the actual reality of what it would mean to save the world. And it wasn't pleasant.

* * *

_Foolish minions,  
Such incompetent beings  
They surround myself  
But I will still be victorious  
I cannot loose_

For I am Omega, the end.  
And for this world my judgement has arrived.

_Weep all you creatures, weep your tears of fear  
For soon you shall weep your souls and it shall be I who control you then._

_For I am Omega, the end  
And I come to destroy._

**Heya guys, how was that?**

**I'm happy cause I'm enjoying writing this **

**I'm getting into my fanfics a bit more...**

**At the moment I'm really focussing on this fic and my more popular one Forever Friends, such contrasts yet I might tie 'em together a little... or not, I dunno! I just love writing them both!! I've found two fics I can be really creative with and its great.**

**Plus its summer yay!!**

**Enjoy summertime everyone...**

**Much lovee from mee xXx**


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter is more background to stuff than anything else  
If you see anything like wrong with my 'explanation' of the digiworld then please dont hesitate to tell me what an idiot I am ;P**

**Chapter dedicated to NoRatCat and Ravn MTM, my reviewers and supporters in this fic  
you both rokk!**

* * *

Jijimon was waiting patiently for the digidestined to arrive. He was in the company of only a select few, his closest friends.

Centaurmon and AncientWisemon on his right hand side, Andromon, Pegasusmon and Nefertimon on his left, his trusted council and most respected peers.

Nefertimon bowed her head humbly to Jijimon, "Jijimon-sama," her clearly pronounced voice cut through the room and caught everyone's attention "These children, are they really the answer?"

Jijimon nodded sombrely, "It is written that these children are hand picked from the immense race of humans, and that the power is inside of them to defeat Him and rid the world of evil. The digidestined cannot fail."

The ancient lady digimon dipped her head, "Then I cannot doubt, forgive my lack of faith."

"Already done," he smiled slightly at his friend.

Then there was a small noise outside and the six wise digimon stood to alert.

_Knock, Knock, Knock.._

There was an odd knocking sound at the door of the assembly hall and the six wise digimon raised their eyebrows. What on earth was going on?? Was someone trying to take over and ambush them by breaking down the three feet thick door? If they were they were doing pitifully. Those tiny knocks would get no where and worse they had already alerted the digimon inside as to their prescence. How odd.

Then the six baffled digimon heard a small voice coming from behind the thick door, very faintly. "What are you doing Jeri?" Is whispered bemused.

Jeri...? That wasn't a digimon name. Was this a digidestined trying to break down the door?!

"I'm knocking on the door Tsunomon, it's only polite. We don't wanna desturb anything important." A voice hissed back.

_Knocking on the door? What a strange custom._

Nefertimon couldn't help herself, she giggled slightly. What an odd child. This was who they were trusting their world to?

_Mad world..._

Jijimon glanced at Nefertimon and she ceased giggling immediately.

He was unsure of what to do now, was the human child ever actually going to come in or not?

They waited patientley and nothing happened.

Why did the human not enter?

There was nothing for it, Jijimon decided. Clearing his throat and blushing slightly at the absurity of it he bellowed "Enter." in a commanding voice. He had taken to calling after children, what a strange turn of events.

The door creaked open and in walked a young human carrying the Tsunomon Jijimon had sent out earlier. The human was handsome and radiated confidence, yet acted meekly, bowing upon entering the room and kneeling down when he reached just in front of the six powerful digimon.

Centaurmon raised am eyebrow at the newcomer and stared at him critically for a moment.

"Get up," Jijimon commanded the boy as he knelt before him, "We are all free digimon here... and humans... and we bow to no one, understand?"

Confused, Jeri sprang up and nodded his head meekly, "Os." He bowed. - AN:'_Os_' is a term of respect btw, it can mean '_yes of course_' or '_I agree_' or '_thankyou for correcting me_'... etc.

"No bowing either..." Jijimon was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

"Oh uh... okay. I mean Os..." Jeri cringed, not making a good impression despite his best efforts. Not knowing how to act now he began to pick at his finger nails and look down, nervous around these mature creatures who seemed to him to be like adults, yet they insisted he did not bow to them. He was a fish out of water, lost without the natural confines of ettiquette.

"Your name?" Jijimon asked

"J-Jeri, Jijimon-sama..." He had to fight the urge not to dip his head in respect, instead he fidgeted even more.

"Jeri, I see... and where are the others?" He asked pointedly.

"Others?" Jeri looked up startled, there were others?

"Yes, the other four digidestined. Where are they?"

Jeri looked to Tsunomon for help, he hadn't even known there were others.

"We all got split up, Jijimon-sama, before we even found the children. We agreed we would all go our seperate ways and head back here. They should be here any minute now." Tsunomon piped up.

Jijimon scowled, what was taking them so long?

_Knock, knock, knock._

There was another faint knock at the thick door, even though it was still ajar.

The six ancient digimon again raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Yumi..." a small voice whispered, "What are you doing? Go on in."

"Manners." Yumi snapped, "you said these people were important."

Nyaromon sighed, "And so _that's_ why you're chipping away at their door...?" the digimon's tone sounded exasperated, "You humans are wierd."

"Whatever. Just shut up, you're being rude." Yumi hissed, quietening the small digimon.

"Enter," Boomed Jijimon's voice, slightly frustrated. Would he have to do this for all of the digidestined children?

In crept a girl who bowed at the doorway and then came forward to kneel at the six digimon's feet. She did not smile in greeting, her face was cold and almost emotionless. Her digimon followed her miserably and Yumi ignored her. She gave a strange look to the other human boy, Jeri, and scowled when he smiled at her.

'_What a friendly young lady,_' thought Centaurmon sarcastically.

"Stand please, and try not to bow." Jijimon commanded.

Yumi leapt up and nodded, not saying anything.

"And your name is?" Jijimon prised when she offered no information.

"Yumi, and yours?"

"Jijimon." he smiled slightly at her attitude. She would soon learn.

"Ah, yes." She mused. "This creature here," she said pointing to Nyaromon, "Said you could give me answers."

"Me too," Jeri butted in.

"Yes, and I will soon enough." He said dismissively.

_Knock, Knock, Knock..._

The ancient six digimon sweat dropped. "Enter" Jijimon shouted, scratching the back of his head and sighing.

In came two humans and two digimon together, bowing infuriatingly at the door then coming forward and kneeling at the feet of the powerful six digimon.

"Up." Jijimon told them sternly.

Benji and Renji jumped up to attention and bowed again, DemiDevimon and Gomamon watched this amusedly.

Then Benji and Renji saw the other two digidestined, Yumi and Jeri. Benji smiled at them cheerfully and Renji raised his eyebrow, his signature gesture at the moment.

"Names?" Jijimon asked.

"Benjiro..." Benji bowed respectfully.

"Renjiro." Renji dipped his head.

"No more bowing." Jijimon snapped.

"Os." everyone answered silmultaneously.

Then Jijimon glanced at the twin's two digimon, now at rookie level. "You digivolved?" He asked impresed.

"Yup," Gomamon piped up cheerfully, "Benji and Renji were in trouble, so we digivolved to protect them."

DemiDevimon then added gloomily "But we had to defeat a Mushroomon, his eyes wept evil."

Jijimon nodded and sighed sadly, another fallen friend used for evil by Him. The six ancient digimon fell silent and clapped their hands together above their heads and lowered them slowly, eyes closed. They then bowed their heads and whispered "Moishe..."

The digidestined digimon closed their eyes too and whispered "Moishe" in return. The four digidestined children exchanged glances as the digimon once again opened their eyes.

DemiDevimon saw Renji's confusion and whispered, "It's a sign of respect for the fallen, _Moishe_ means journey. Its the end of their journey and we respect that."

Renji nodded, touched. He remembered the eyes and the expression of that digimon, something he would never forget. But even more desturbing he now saw that that digimon was just a pawn in a higher evil plan, and this made that digimon more of a victim than anyone. It was sad.

"And where is the fifth?" Jijimon asked impatiently, he was a digimon that was not used to being kept waiting, especially on matters of such importance.

Just then, as if on cue, in flew a purple bat, out of breath and apologetic, followed by a nervous little child, no older than nine from the looks of him. Yumi softened, she had a weak spot for kids and she could see this one was clearly terrified and with good reason. He stuck close to the little monster as it gasped his apologies to Jijimon.

"Oh I'm so sorry we're late, we ran into some unexpected... company on the way." Tsukaimon panted

Roka winced, remembering the Betamon they had come up against, especially its eyes.

"And you managed to digivolve?" Centaurmon looked impressed that the youngest child's digimon had rose to the occasion. Of all of them he had worried most about the child. Tokomon too had been quite weak and unreliable looking, but he had proven himself and gained Centaurmon's respect.

"Yes, I'm now Tsukaimon, I had to digivolve to save Roka." he explained, panting, "His strength and care gave me the power to digivolve and defeat the possessed Betamon who attacked us."

Another digimon fallen, the six ancients once again clapped their hands above their heads, closed their eyes and said "Moishe."

"Moishe," the digidestined digimon echoed, Renji joined in mumbling it under his breath respectfully.

They opened their eyes and Jijimon held out his arm, indicating they go in that direction. "Follow me," he said, "And I will explain everything."

He lead the way down a long corridor lit with candles and smelling strongly of incense as the digidestined and ancients followed him. After just a short while they arrived at a big door with a large brass handle and gold patterns on the woodwork. The patterns were symbols of some sort and they looked important. Jijimon opened the door slowly, it appeared to be heavy from the effort the powerful digimon put into opening it, and they filed in nervously.

_Good, no more knocking or bowing, _Jijimon thought.

"Take a seat," the ancient digimon said, relaxing and indicating to the large wooden chairs positioned around a table in the middle of the room. Each of the chairs looked massive and grand, with high backs and arm rests, made out of polished wood with patterns on the backs. It was like a set for an old Knights table in a movie. _Arthur and Knights of the Round Table,_ thought Jeri smiling.

They shuffled about to grab a seat, Jeri decided to sit next to Yumi, grinning at her goofily. She glanced away haughtily and Jeri smiled. _How adorable, she's playing hard to get..._

Jijimon took the seat at the head of the table and cleared his throat. "It is time to reveal why you are here." He proclaimed.

Everyone was now silent and attentive to the digimon at the head of the table as he began to explain their destiny.

"Okay then, where to start," he scratched his head for a moment then smiled, "ah yes, that's it. I'll start at the very beginning, with a simple explanation of the digital world. Right from the very start of time," he began, "there have always been parallel worlds to that one that you existed in, did you know that to be the case?"

"Erm," Jeri wasn't sure about that, but since he was now sitting, having supper in another world he couldn't really argue. Well, he could but he'd sound quite stupid. "No, I didn't but I guess it's true, if you say so."

The others were willing to accept this too, although they had never thought of it before either, so they just nodded.

"Good, okay. Well we digimon knew of the existence of such worlds, or dimensions, as we call them, but no-one had ever been able to prove that they actually existed, as its scientifically impossible to 'jump' dimensions.-"

"But then how-" Roka began

"I'll get to that in a minute." Roka nodded and Jijimon continued, "Anyway, as I was saying, it's scientifically impossible to 'jump' dimensions because there is no crossover point between any two parallel worlds, because they run parallel, got it?"

Yumi nodded, the twins and Roka looked blank and Jeri scratched his head, "No," he said "I don't get it at all."

Yumi sighed in exasperation and turned briefly to him to explain, she spoke slowly as if to an infant and he scowled. "Parallel means they run side by side perfectly, always the same distance away from each other."

"Yeah, okay"

"Well, if they're always the same distance away from each other they will never meet, or cross over, right?"

"Oh, okay, yeah I get it"

"So if they don't meet then you can't go from one to the other." She sighed as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Jijimon looked at Yumi, she was quite a smart kid, he thought. Condesending but bright. He could work with that.

Jeri nodded, and so Jijimon continued.

"So, we had to accept that, even though we knew that there were other parallel worlds out there, we could never prove it, or find out about them, ever. It was just scientifically impossible. Quite unfortunate.

"However, completely by accident one day, we discovered - or rather found out about - another world that was not parallel but instead complimentary to our own world. Your world. The digital world is a world that has existed alongside your own for, well goodness knows how long, and it is intricately linked to your world, the fibres of our worlds are fused together as it were, and we are each a shadow world of the other. This discovery was a turning point in the way we viewed our world. We had never even begun to think that there could be such a thing as a complimentary world, in any circumstance, for reasons too complicated to go into now. Yet there it was, the digital world's very own complimentary world, your human world!

"But as intrigued as we were we never even suspected how closely our two worlds were connected, we never knew that in fact our worlds rely on each other to survive. We had no idea of this at all... until the book was revealed to us from the lake of sulphur, the tide of truth washed it upon the shore of File Island four centuries ago. Since then myself and my five companions here have pored over that book in the hope of learning its mysteries.

"The book writes of you five children, the last hope of our world - and in effect your world too, as our worlds are fused together and what effects one must affect the other. It speaks of the prophesy surrounding your entering into the digital world, which has been fulfilled. It also says that you will be able to make your digimon partners digivolve, which three of you have already. Remarkable, I wouldn't believe it had I not experienced it... The power of the digidestined..."

"Digidestined?" Benji looked intrigued.

"Yes. You are the digidestined." said Jijimon proudly, "I will explain what that means. It was written that in the time of great evil there would come five children from our shadow world - Rokunee it was refered to as - in other words your human world, and they would save us and restore order, peace and goodness back to our world. Only at the time when evil was at its worst would these children be summoned by the incantation, at this time the ancient devices which are known as digivices would be used to bring you to us. And here you are," he gave a rare smile.

"So we're all a digidestined?" Asked Roka uncertainly

"Yes," Jijimon replied, "Now to be a digidestined is to be a child who possesses the ten cardinal virtues within them; these are _**love**_, _**friendship**_, _**wisdom**_, _**reliability**_, _**courage**_, _**integrity**_, **_Peace_**, **_Truth_**, _**loyalty**_ and _**kindness**_. Plus also you must have in balance within you the two states of being, _**darkness**_ and _**light**_; _yin and yang_.

"However, as a digidestined this alone is not enough, you must also be able to call on these virtues in order to over come evil in the world, this you can do through the crests or spirits as we sometimes call them. There is one crest for each virtue, as well as the crests for darkness and light. You are each destined to have two crests of virtue, plus two of you will have a third, the crests of the states of light and darkness. Since light and darkness are not virtues but states, they are an extra, and their power is superior to any other power when used properly. Together they are invincible; for together they unleash the power of yin/yang."

The digidestined all nodded solemnly and then Roka asked "So the crests, do they like pick us?"

"Yes, they do."

"But what about our digimon, don't they get crests too?" Roka asked, looking down at his friend Tsukaimon.

Jijimon scratched his head nervously, "I see I forgot to explain what it was the crests are for.

"In the prophesy of the book it states that these five children -you - will have the power to make their partner digimon digivolve. But it is the power of the crests that allows this, and so when you have a crest, it is really not just yours, but a shared power of you and your digimon. The power of the crests gives them the power to digivolve and save the world, and it is you children who harness this power. Do you understand?"

"What does 'digivolve' mean?" asked Jeri, intrigued

Jijimon blushes, "Oh yes, of course, allow me to explain. Look at your digimon," he pointed to Tsunomon and smiled tenderly, the digidestined all looked too, "he is small, cute and helpless – at the moment," the five digidestined nodded in agreement, but poor Tsunomon look offended by the word _helpless_, and was about to protest when Jijimon continued.

"That stage in his development is called the 'in-training' stage, the digimon equivalent to your stage of being toddlers or young children. Well, over the course of time digimon naturally change, they become bigger, stronger and meaner, much like you humans do, you grow up - at least from my understanding. Only for digimon this growing up is called digivolving, and instead of it happening gradually over a period of time, it happens rapidly, instantly even. One moment they'll be an adorable little 'in-training' Bukamon, the next they'll have digivolved, changed, grown, into a completely different creature, a fun, spirited Gommamon, a digimon of the 'rookie' level which is the equivalent to an older child or young teenager. This is their nature. And this is what happened to our Gomamon here, who was just this very morning a Bukamon yet look at him now. The same thing happened to DemiMeramon and Tokomon who both digivolved and are now their rookie forms, DemiDevimon and Tsukaimon.

"But what's so amazing about the digidestined children is that, with the power of the crests, they have the ability to make digimon, or more specifically their partner digimon, digivolve whenever they need to. Like for example when you were in danger they digivolved to rescue you, isn't that right?" He glanced at the twins and Roka. They nodded.

"But, when they digivolve, they'll be different?" Jeri asked, looking fondly at Tsunomon.

"Yes, they will change completely, but in the case of digidestined digimon the digivolving process is not permanent, for the energy needed to sustain such transformations is immense and so, once the danger has passed your digimon will revert back to their normal form, to how they are now." Then he paused thoughtfully, "or, actually they seem to prefer the rookie form and should be able to sustain it. So once they've digivolved once that should be their state."

"So, the rookie form is what Tsunomon'll be next?" Jeri prised

"Yes, and after that the champion, then the ultimate, mega, magna, ultra and so on. Not forgetting DNA digivolving of course, I've hypothesised that that level of digivolving could reach the NOVA level, although I have never had the experience myself, not being a chosen digimon. My level is Mega."

The digidestined looked at him in awe. _Mega... wow._

"But in order to make the most out of your power you need the combination of both your crests, or spirits, and your digivices."

Yumi held out her green device, "You mean this?"

Jijimon nodded. "Powerful ancient devices, no one yet knows exactly what they are capable of, but it is written that they work with the crests you possess to give you and your digimon ultimate power. They allow you to unleash your full potential. Use them wisely."

"These digivices are amazing," whispered Benji in awe, looking at the small gadget in his hands.

"Yes, they are, they have infinite functions, they are said to feed off your faith, the faith in your hearts. If you have faith in yourselves and in each other then they can harness that positive energy and do amazing things, truly amazing things."

"Oooh, amazing things? Like what?" asked Roka eagerly

Jijimon laughed, "You'll find out soon enough my young friend, who am I to tell you what your digivice can and cannot do? That is for you alone to find out, and then perhaps one day you can tell me." Roka grinned at him.

"Infinite possibilities..." Benji mumbled with shining eyes.

"Yeah?" Renji frowned, "how about like getting us home?"

"You will be taken home when our world is saved, your job will then be done." Jijimon assured.

Roka looked troubled for a minute, he didn't want to go home. Still, saving the world wouldn't be done in a day right? He would have plenty of time to enjoy this adventure.

Plenty of time...

He reached out to stroke Tsukaimon gently.

Plenty of time to spend with his new friend.

He smiled. Friend...

He had a real friend.

Tsukaimon fluttered into his lap and settled down comfortably, Roka enjoyed the physical closeness, he held him tightly in a sort of cuddle. Jijimon raised an eyebrow at this, but said nothing and the meeting continued but Roka wasn't listening any more.

He was smiling to himself imagining all of the adventures ahead for him and his new friend. The amazing times they would have, the laughs and the memories they would make. He had decided in the forest that he wanted Tsukaimon to be his best friend forever.


	7. Chapter 7

**Quick AN - Sorry I havent wrote much or been online for a while. Am trying to juggle lots lol and im sure you all know how hard it is to keep up big stories while doing studies and hanging out with friends. I might not update my stories very frequently but I will try :D**

**Thanks to those who do take the time to actually read and comment back on my stories, I can't tell you how much I appreciate it and when I get the time I will make it my priority to return the favour!**

**Much love Eko xxx**

* * *

The digimon and children had taken a break from the meeting in order to get some food and relax, there was a lot of information to take in all at once for them and Jijimon believed that food would help. Food helps everything.

Yumi stared at the tray of food before her and sighed, using her spoon to push it around the plate, not touching it at all.

"What's wrong with you?" Jeri asked watching her.

Yumi glared at him, "Nothing."

Jeri shrugged and heaped a spoonful of potato into his mouth, "Just trying to be friendly."

"Whatever." Yumi sighed again and resumed rearranging her food.

Roka watched Yumi and Jeri quietly before placing his hand on Yumi's shoulder and causiously whispering "Its nice food you know..."

She flinced as he touched her and then relaxed slightly, looking up at the small child from her plate and smiling slightly, "I'm sure it is." She said softly, "but I'm not hungry."

Jeri raised an eyebrow to see her let her guard down slightly for this child but said nothing and continued to eat.

"You need to eat Yumi," Nyaromon said nervously, concerned for her partner.

Yumi scowled again, "I'll be fine, leave me alone and worry about your own food."

Nyaromon finched at her partner's tone and began hurriedly to eat her meal unhappily.

They all sat together in silence and ate away steadily with the exception of Yumi.

Roka decided to try his luck again a while later, "Why won't you eat Yumi?" he asked worriedly.

"I told you, I'm not hungry." She said in annoyance. She wasn't used to people bothering her about her eating habits, she wasn't used to people caring what she did or why, period.

Her stomache chose this moment to let out a small but audiable grumble, disagreeing with her excuse. She frowned as all eyes flew to her, knowing what an idiot she looked. She blushed slightly but did her best to play it down, hoping no one would be rude enough to comment.

"Not hungry?" Jeri challenged smirking.

'_Smug ass hole..._' she thought bitterly. "That's what I said isn't it?"

"Your stomache seems to disagree." He folded his arms about his chest and looked straight into her eyes.

She had had enough, "Look, what do you care anyway? Who made it your buisness goggle head?" She folded her arms and mirrored his stare, frustrated and determined to get these strangers off her back.

"Yumi..." Nyaromon whispered nervously, her voice pleading with her to drop it and just eat.

"Button it fur ball" she hissed angrily.

Jeri looked at Yumi shocked, treating her concerned digimon so badly. And besides that, what did she mean when she said who made it his buisness? She looked genuinely suprised at their concern. "How can you not expect us to care Yumi? We're a team now and you're part of that team. Of course we care."

She waved her hand in the air dismissively, "You think I'm not up to this 'cause I'm not hungry enough to eat something I don't wanna eat?! I'm as up for the job as you are goggle head so don't you dare make out I won't perform when it comes to saving the world."

"I didn't say that, though that is a concern. We're worried about _you_, you need to eat and yet there you are blatently refusing to eat with no reason. Its stupid. Then you snap at your digimon partner for caring enough to want you to get the food you need, not to mention the way you're treating us. What's your problem?!"

She blushed more, wishing the ground would swallow her up now. "I don't have a problem, its you whose making a big deal. As for how I treat this digimon its none of your buisness, if she doesn't like me she can just go, and that applies to the rest of you. Now just leave me alone and eat your precious food."

"You're being so ridiculous!" Jeri cried in exasperation, "just eat the damn potatoes!!"

"Don't tell me what to do. I'm going for a walk, don't follow me." She stood up and walked away, then turned around and said over her shoulder, "I'll be back for the meeting."

Nyaromon got up to, ready to follow Yumi, but Jeri stopped her. "Just let her alone for a bit, she obviously has stuff to work out." Nyaromon nodded miserably and watched her partner as she left.

"You should have just left her to it." Renji said after a pause.

"That's what you think huh? Just let her starve?" He glared, this wasn't his day.

Renji shrugged, "She obviously doesn't feel comfortable around food, and you didn't exactly help."

"And you could have done better?"

"Yeah, but that wouldn't be hard." Renji looked up at him and shook his head, "You really don't understand girls do you?"

Jeri reddened, "Of course I understand girls - _normal_ girls. But she just ain't normal. She's got some serious problems."

"She's human." Renji snapped.

"Well thanks for that diagnosis Dr Dunbar but I rekon I'd already figured that bit out." He ran his hands through his hair, "And for the record, all the girls I've dated, they were human too."

"Glad to hear it," Benji laughed, trying to lighten the mood slightly.

Renji sighed and got up, "I'm gonna find her and try to undo some of the damage you caused."

"She said for no one to follow her." Jeri said.

Renji rolled his eyes, "She was talking to you."

Jeri scowled, "Of course she was..." he mumbled as Renji left.

There was an akward pause. "So... where are you two from?" Benji finally asked Roka and Jeri, wanting to change the subject.

* * *

Yumi stood alone in the clearing, amazed by the scenery of trees and natural beauty that she found herself in. The darkness had transformed the happy forest into something all the more majestic and beautiful, something deeper than its superficial lure of the day. She relished it all, taking every detail in and storing them in her minds eye for the time they would return home to the barren streets and concrete structures.

Something about this natural raw beauty struck a chord in her soul, and even after the scene she had unwittingly created at tea it calmed her. All was tranquil and she smiled, really truely smiling.

Then her stomache rumbled again and the spell was broken, the enchantment of the digital world's nature was shattered with the reminder of her weakness.

She still couldn't believe the deal that Jeri boy had made of her not eating back at the table, it was totally out of order. Stupid ignorant goggle head, how dare he stick his nose into her buisness like that, humiliating her infront of everyone before they had even been in this place a day.

"Still hungry?" a voice asked from behind her. She jumped and spun around angrily.

"I told you-" she begun then realised it was Renji, not Jeri, "Oh, what are you doing here?"

He shrugged, "Jeri made an ass hole of himself, but he was just concerned. I wanted to see if you were okay and to tell you to put today behind you, perhaps start again and give him the benefit of the doubt."

Yumi narrowed her eyes, "Benefit of the doubt? He humiliated me."

"And you humiliated him, although he didn't need much help, he strikes me as the type who can humiliate himself pretty well." Renji chuckled slightly.

Yumi allowed herself a grin and nodded.

"So..." Renji probed after a minute of silence, "_are _you okay?"

Yumi turned away "What's it to you?" Then she suddenly spun to face him and scowled, "And don't pretend to care about me."

"I don't care about you, you're nothing to me. I don't even know you." he shrugged, "But we're going to be working together alot, saving the world and all that jazz. Face it, we will get to know each other, like it or not. Heaven knows we might even get on and like each other after a while, but regardless we will be a team and as a team we need to be able to cover each other's backs. We'll also need to be open with each other, so 'fess up, whats wrong?"

Yumi listened and nodded, "I get that, but theres nothing wrong with me. I'm just not hungry today."

Renji scowled, "have it your way then" he said turning around and walking away leaving her alone in the middle of the forest. Suddenly its beauty had lost all appeal as she watched Renji turn his back on her, and she wished that she was capable of openning up to him. But she couldn't.

* * *

The digidestined sat around the meeting table waiting for Jijimon to arrive back. No one spoke.

Yumi glanced occasionally at Renji, but he didn't look at her. Jeri did, he fidgetted and glanced her way plenty of times and it was beginning to really annoy her. Nyaromon was edgy too, everyone was except Roka, Tsukaimon and Renji. He didn't even seem to care, which hurt her more than she cared to admit. He could have tried harder to get her to open up to him...

Jijimon entered and sat himself down at the head of the large table. He didn't seem to notice the tense atmosphere, instead getting straight to buisness.

"So I explained about the prophesy and your digivices and digivolving, but now its truely time to explain why you are here, now." Jijimon said sombrely, "Our world has been possessed by an evil force known only as Him. He has no mercy, no compassion and he has no soul, his main downfall. Because He has no soul he feeds off the soul of other digimon in our world, innocent digimon whose one negative thought can be their downfall."

"One negative thought?" Renji questioned.

"Yes, He can only harness control of a digimon at a time when they feel some type of negative emotion, bitterness, jealously, hate, revenge these are things that His soul less conciousness can tap into and use for His own plan. Just one hateful thought in a moment of weakness can lead to Him possessing you, using you and feedig off your very soul."

"I don't get it..." Roka whispered timidly, his face pale and his eyes fearful.

"Imagine your soul as being like a place He needs to get to, a city on an island that he cannot reach from the shore. Now that island, the digimon's soul, is safe until the moment when a bridge is made, the bridge of a bad thought. Even if this bridge is only there for a second He can still cross it straight onto the island where He can run around and destroy everything, claiming the island as His own. That's one of the reasons the crests are so importance, those ten cardinal virtues can overcome his negative power, and the crests of yin and yang can put our world into balance once more."

"Okay, I think I got it now." Roka said.

Yumi scowled, "it sounds aweful, but we can put a stop to it right? Thats our job as digi... digidestined?"

"Yes, thats right." Jijimon smiled slightly.

"Can He possess humans?" Jeri asked suddenly.

Jijimon hesitated, "We have never had humans in our world before, we don't know for certain. But answer me this, do humans have negative thoughts?"

There was a pause.

"Has any of you ever felt afraid, angry, hurt, lonely, vengeful, violent, hateful or proud?" Jijimon asked

There was another pause before Yumi answered "Yes."

"Yeah," said Benji.

"Yes." Renji sighed.

"Uh huh" mumbled Roka sadly.

"I guess..." Jeri admitted.

"Then I believe it is wisest to assume He can control you as well, until proven otherwise." Jijimon said.

Roka, Renji and Benji who had seen the look of possessed digimon all paled and there was a heavy silence as this news was taken in.

Jeri broke the tension, "Well, looks like we'll just have to make sure we think of nothing but happy thoughts," he laughed weakly but stopped when he saw that no one else joined in.

Yumi glared at him.

Roka looked down tenderly at Tsukaimon and forced a smile, "Looks like you and me are in the same boat Tsukai."

Tsukaimon nodded and fluttered protectively onto Roka's head, wrapping his wings around his shoulders in a secure embrace.

Gomamon leapt reassuringly into Benji's lap and said "Don't worry, I'll protect you!" Benji smiled and wrapped his arms around the cheerful digimon, biting his lip.

DemiDevimon perched on Renji's shoulder and said nothing, but it was enough for Renji just to feel his prescence and know he was there for him.

Jeri stroked Tsunomon thoughtfully, glad to have him there.

Yumi just ignored Nyaromon as she tried to comfort her partner, wrapped up in her own thoughts.

"The digivices feed on our faith right?" Roka queried after another silence, everyone turned to him.

"Yes, they do." Jijimon nodded.

"Well lets start our faith here then eh? If a book from a mountain of sulphur says we'll beat this Him guy, then surely we've got a fighting chance? And besides theres no use worrying about what might happen and spoiling what could happen, because we could beat this evil and save the world - both of them. But not if we don't try. So I reckon we could use some faith now and just trust ourselves as well as our digimon... and" he looked from Yumi to Jeri and back again, "each other."

Renji raised an eyebrow in suprise at the kid and smiled slightly. He hadn't expected a pep talk from anyone really after that bombshell of soul sucking evil forces, but for that talk to come from the young kid who looks like he couldn't stand up to a mouse was pretty unexpected and he was impressed.

Tsukaimon grinned at his partner proudly and Roka beamed at the room of people who seemed to have listened to what he had to say, could he really have put that spark of fresh hope into their eyes?

Hope, Faith, both things that you do not expect from the youngest weakest member of the group, but Roka was full of suprises.

"Faith... Yeah brilliant Roka!" Benji grinned happily, "Your right, we just need a little faith."

Renji nodded smiling slightly and Jeri nodded enthusiastically, grinning from ear to ear. Yumi nodded, biting her lip but determined to save this world if she possibly could.

"What do we need to do Jijimon-sama?" Renji asked, "How do we save this world?"

"Well at the moment you are on File Island, but in order to get to Him and defeat Him you will need to travel through the digital world to Sauru Havesutto, His lair. This sounds simple but the digital world is a big place and you will need to make your way through it on foot, and over water possibly facing many dangers along the way and growing in strength together. On the route to Sauru Havesutto is a digimon called Pixiemon's hideout, in which you will need to train with him for as long as he sees fit and it will be him who will bring out your skills to equip you in your quest to save the world."

"Do you guys know the way?" Jeri asked the digimon

"... Nah, we're just babies," Tsunomon admitted.

The five children sweatdropped.

"Not to worry," Jijimon dismissed, "Your digivices will lead you on your way."

"Cool!" said Roka happily, examining his digivice for the millionth time that day.

"Erm how long will this take by the way?" Jeri asked Jijimon worriedly.

"That depends on you." He answered

"Well can you give us a guess?" Jeri probed

"Months, maybe a year... I am unsure"

Everyone stopped what they were doing and stared. A year?!

"We can't be away from home that long, do you know what a panic our parents would be in after a day, letalone a year!" Jeri exclaimed.

"Oh I must have forgot to explain about time..." Jijimon blushed. "Our temporal fibres in the digital world are completely out of sync with those of your world, so you have no need to worry."

"Huh?" Jeri asked baffled.

Jijimon sighed and thought of a way to rephrase that. "Time ... works differently in our world. A thousand years in our world could be next to no time in yours. We had worked out by studying a comparison of the temporal fibres... I mean the passing of time... that one year in our world is roughly 3.875976555555 reoccurring seconds in your world, next to no time really in the grand scheme of things!"

"Wow! amazing!" Jeri exclaimed happily.

Yumi coughed, "But what about our ageing? Wouldn't it be odd if we all go back home and after 3.875 whatever seconds we have all randomly aged a year or more? Roka especially will change alot in the next year, have a growth spurt and stuff which would look very strange in our world."

Everyone was quiet as they thought about the impact that would have, this was a problem indeed.

Jijimon was dismissive, "Your bodies are from that temporal continuum, you will not age here as you are not from here. You will go back to your world unchanged as that is your time frame."

YUmi nodded, satisfied, "okay."

"So it'll be like in Narnia then?" Roka asked eagerly.

"No." Renji said, "Because in Narnia they all age and then just go back to being kids whn they get back to their own world. With us we just won't age at al from what I can tell."

"Oh okay." Roka grinned, "What a cool adventure!"

Jeri snorted.

"What's up with you?" Renji asked

"You read Narnia? That's a fairy story!" He laughed.

Renji shrugged, "I used to like the talking animals, what's the problem?"

"Ha ha whatever!" Jeri just laughed more.

"Oh shut it goggle head, we've got a world to save!" Yumi snapped haughtily.

Jeri was shocked and fell silent and Renji just raised an eyebrow, _she stuck up for me? What's going on here?!_

Yumi then blushed and bit her lip, "So we go to Pixiemon's Hideout first then?"

Jijimon nodded, "You are best heading off as soon as possible."

They all nodded, "We can leave tonight." Yumi said.

"Sorted," Jeri smiled weakly, "We leave tonight."


End file.
